SMILEY'S MANUAL 



OF 



Practical Information 



AND STANDARD 



HOUSEHOLD GUIDE. 



A Book Adapted to the Every - Day Use of the People, Com- 

prising a Treasury of Domestic Recipes, and being 

a Reliable Guide for Conducting the 

Various Departments of 

Household Work. ^_ 



APPROPRIATELY ILLUSTRATED. 



iWG 30 1894 



is. 



7 



CHICAGO, ILL.: 
JAMES B. SMILEY, Publisher, 

232 West Washington Street. 
1804. 






4 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-Four, by 

JAMES B. SMILEY, 
In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 

All Rights Reserved. 



THIS BOOK IS SOLD BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY. Those desiring a copy, 
and not knowing any agent, should address the publisher. 



PREFACE. 

The following pages are the result of many years of experiment, investigation 
and study. We have aimed to prepare a work for the use of housekeepers on a 
more thorough and comprehensive plan than has been heretofore attempted. 
As the book is intended for the use of the average housekeeper, there is nothing in 
it which cannot be easily understood by any person of ordinary intelligence, for we 
have taken much pains to present the results of modern scientific investigations 
in a clear and simple way, avoiding, as far as possible, the use of technical 
terms. Most of the household books in current use give the processes for doing 
things merely, with no attempt to explain the reasons for the processes or the 
principles which underlie them. We also give as clearly as possible 
the most detailed directions in all our recipes, but we do not stop there, as we 
think any one can work more intelligently by understanding not only how to do 
a certain thing, but also why it is done one way rather than another, and the 
principles which underlie the process. For this reason throughout the work we sys- 
tematically explain principles as well as processes. We have long felt that a sad 
defect in most cook books is their utter failure to explain those simple, 
fundamental principles which every cook should, if possible, understand. If these 
principles are once thoroughly understood the mystery and uncertainty of kitchen 
operations will vanish, and cooking will simply be adopting certain clearly under- 
stood methods to produce certain definite results, and success Will always follow. 

Within the last few years much excellent work has been done by the scientists 
who have been investigating the chemistry of cooking and the chemical com- 
position and nutritive value of the different foods. We have endeavored to 
clearly present to our readers the most important results of their labors, for we 
believe the time has come for housekeepers to understand both the composition 
of foods and their nutritive value, as well as the chemical changes produced in 
them by the various operations of cooking. 

For years we have been gathering material for this book, resulting in the 
accumulation of a great mass of recipes. These have been culled and tested, and 
in making selections our rule has been to choose those which were most sim- 
ple and economical, because the book is primarily designed for the use of the 
masses, whose means are always limited, and we aim to meet their every day wants, 
although we present also an ample number of more elaborate recipes suitable for 
special occasions. Our endeavor has been to make the collection as complete and 
comprehensive as possible, and to give new, choice and well-tested recipes in 
every department of household cookery. 

In preparing this work we have constantly had four main objects in view. 
(1) To secure the fullest, latest, and most reliable information possible on the 
subjects treated. (2) To explain processes and methods for saving time 
and labor, for the average housewife is sadly overworked and her time and 



4 PREFACE. 

strength are of the utmost value. (3) To select the best and most economical 
recipes; and (4) to point out ways to prevent waste- 
In the general department of household topics we present a more complete 
and systematic treatment of the various subjects connected with household 
management than can be found elsewhere, and the information therein 
contained will certainly be of great practical value to housekeepers. The 
effort of the editor has been to produce a thoroughly reliable and comprehensive 
guide to housekeeping in all its branches, which no housewife can afford to do 
without. The book has not been written by any one individual, but many pens 
have been employed more or less in its preparation. 

The book will certainly shed much needed light on the problems which confront 
and often harass housekeepers, explain the fundamental principles which under- 
lie their work, and present a mass of recipes which will materially aid them in 
their labors, and we are convinced that there is no subject more intimately 
connected with the welfare of the people than that of housekeeping in its various 
branches. The Editor. 



SABt-E SHOWING THE COMPARATIVE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS iN DIFFER- 

ENX FOODS. 



The following table will show the comparative amount of nutrients, after evaporating 
the water, remaining in the edible portions of the more important articles of food, i. e„ after 
removing the refuse, like bones, shell, skin, etc. The nutritive value of the different foods, 
and the elements of which they are composed, are explained more fully elsewhere, but 
this table will bring clearly before the eye, at a glance, the striking difference in the nutri- 
tive value of different foods. In vegetables, one of their great benefits to the system is de- 
rived from the potash and other salts which they contain, as we elsewhere explain, and 
these make little showing in a table like this, but the table will serve to give some idea of 
the value as food of different articles. There is a lamentable ignorance at the present 
time regarding the true value to the system of different articles of food, causing much loss, 
which is especially burdensome to poor people. 



Beef, Brisket of. ■ 

Beef, Dried - 

Beef, Flank of ■ 

Beef, Flank, Corned.- 

Beef, Neck of - 

Beef, Ribs of. - 

Beef, Shoulder of. ... ■ 

Beef, Sirloin of ■ 

Beef, Round of ■ 

Beef, Liver of ■ 

Beef, Heart of. - 

Beef, Tongue of ■ 

Veal, Shoulder of...- 
Mutton, Breast of .. .■ 
Mutton, Flank of. ... ■ 

Mutton, Leg of - 

Mutton, Neck of....« 
Mutton, Shoulder of- 

Lamb, Leg of ■ 

Lamb, Loin of.. ■ 

Lamb, Neck of ■ 

Lamb, Shoulder of. . ■ 
Pork, Shoulder roast- 
Pork, fat, salt ........ 

Pork, smoked ham..- 

Sausage, Pork - 

Tripe, soused ■ 

Chicken - 

Turkey - 

Eggs, Hen's - 

Bass, black ■ 

Blue Fish - 

Codfish, fresh - 

Codfish, salt - 

Eel, saltwater ■ 

Flounder ■ 

Haddock ■ 

Haddock, smoked... - 

Halibut, fresh ■ 

Halibut, smoked.... - 

Herring, fresh - 

Mackerel, fresh ■ 

Mackerel, salted ■ 

Salmon, fresh = 

Sardines, canned. . . .- 

Trout, brook - 

Whitefish - 

Clams - 

Lobsters, fresh - 

Oysters, fresh .- 

Shrimp ...... 



MEATS, ETC. 



FISH AND SHELL-FISH. 



(5) 



DAIRY PRODUCTS. 



VEGETABLES. 



Milk - 

Butter — — 

Cheese, full cream..—^^— 
Cheese, skim milk.. .— ^^^ 
Oleomargarine — i^~ 

Asparagus ^^ 

Beans, Lima, green. ■■^^—n™^^^^™™™ 
Beans, string, green.^— ^-™ 

Beans, dried ^ ■ mmmh 

Beets "^^^^ 

Cabbage — ~ 

Carrots ■—■ —™ 

Cauliflower ,■— «^« 

Cucumber — 

Corn, sweet, green .^ ■■ 
Corn, sweet, canned— "^—"-—"i^^ 

Egg Plant — 

Lettuce ™™^ 

Onions ^— ^^— 

Okra ^^^— 

Peas, green — ^— ^— ^™ 

Peas, dried — — b— — ■= 

Potatoes ^mm^^^^mmm^ 

Potatoes, sweet — ■ ■— — — ■— ■■■— 

Pumpkin «^™ 

Rice — — ■ 

Spinach * 

Squash k^h 

Turnips „„_„. 

Tomatoes — 

CEREALS, ETC. 

Barley, pearl ™^ — - ~-"-^^™ 

Flour, graham....... .-^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 

Flour, entire wheat. ^^™"^-^^~^^^^—^^^™"™ 
Flour, buckwheat.. .^^^-^^^^^^^^^^^-^— ^^ 

Flour, rye ^^^^^^™^^™»^™«— — «^^™ 

Flour, wheat — — — — — -^— >— 

Cornmeal ^ ^— — «^ ^^^— ■ 

Oatmeal ^ •»■— ™ 

White hominy >^ — —- "-^"— »^^^— 

Buckwheat farina. . .^^— ^ ^ »^— aHH 

Bread, graham i 

Bread, rye ™«i D ».^_„ = _ Q _ = „»^ ra ™__i™— 

Bread, wheat -■ '— i 

Boston crackers -■ 

Graham crackers ' ■ ■■■— ■ ■■ ■ ! . 

Oatmeal crackers .... ' —— ' ■—»■ . . .—j^ 



FRUITS. 
Apples m 

Bananas — . , , 

Blackberries — ^—m 

Cherries ■——»«■ 

Cocoanuts 

Cranberries, . 

GrapeS... n—aaanaMmn. 

Lemons ■■-nm. 

Peaches ■ i 

Pineapples — — — 

Strawberries ■ ■ «— 

Watermelon __, 

Whortleberries —<_»_« 

Walnuts,. , «.«« M ___ aMM _ M __ n . 



<«> 



TABLES Of WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 

Notice.— The standard of measure which we have adopted in this hook is the ordinary 
coffee cup, which holds Vz pint. Where not otherwise specified, we always mean that by a 
cup. Of course the size of the cups and spoons in actual use vary somewhat, and extraor- 
dinary dampness or dryness of the materials will affect their weight, but these tables are 
as accurate as we can make them. Ln making up any recipe, using the same measure 
throughout will keep the proportions correct. 

Before measuring sugar, meal, flour, soda, salt and spices, they should be sifted. Ma- 
terials like baking powder or mustard, which have been packed, should be stirred and 
crushed if you do not sift them. 

To get Vz a spoonful, fill the spoon, divide it through the center lengthwise, and use one 
half. To get an even spoonful of any dry material, fill the spoon and level it off with a 
knife. A heaping spoonful is all it will hold. To get a spoonful, fill the spoon and shake it 
a little until it is slightly rounded on top. 

As a cup is smaller at the bottom than at the top, 54 a cup does not mean to fill it 54 the 
way up, but a little more than that. The tin measuring cups holding 54 pint, and divided 
into fourths and thirds, are the best to use; they can be purchased at tin or hardware 
stores. 

Throughout the work, to save space we drop off the " ful " in such words as "cupful," 
"tablespoonful," etc., and write simply "cup," "tablespoon," etc. We always mean full 
measure unless we add the word "heaping," or "scant." 



COMMON ARTICLES OF FOOD. 

Barley:— 1 cup weighs 4 ounces; 1 table- 
spoon, heaped, Vz ounce. 

Bread crumbs, grated:— 1 cup weighs 2 
ounces. 

Butter: — 1 even cup, hard or melted, 
weighs 7 ounces; a rounded tablespoon 
weighs 1 ounce; the "size of an egg" 
weighs 2 ounces. 

Coffee, ground:— 4 cups weigh 1 pound; 1 
cup weighs 4 ounces; 2 rounded table- 
spoons weigh 1 ounce. 

Cornmeal: — 1 even cup weighs 454 ounces; 
a heaping tablespoon Vz ounce. 

Corn-starch: — 1 cup weighs 8 ounces; a 
heaping tablespoon 54 ounce. 

Currants:— 1 cup, cleaned and dried, 
weighs 6 ounces. 

Eggs: — 10 eggs, average size (or 9 if very 
large) weigh 1 pound; 1 white of egg 
weighs about 1 ounce, and 1 yolk about 
1 ounce. 

Flour (wheat, well sifted always):— 1 
quart, heaped, weighs 1 pound; 1 cup 
level, weighs 4 ounces, or 6 ou nces when 
heaped; 1 tablespoon, heaped, holds 1 
ounce; 1 teaspoon, heaped, Vz ounce. 

Lard:— Same as butter. 

Meat: — 1 solid cup of chopped meat weighs 
8 ounces; a pint=l pound. 

Nutmegs:— 5 medium sized nutmegs weigh 
1 ounce. 

Raisins: — 1 cup weighs Vz pound, or 8 
ounces. 

Rice: — 1 cup weighs 8 ounces; 1 table- 
spoon, heaped, Vz ounce. 

Salt:— A "pinch" =1 saltspoon. 

Sago:— 1 cup weighs 8 ounces; 1 table- 
spoon, heaped, Vz ounce. 

Suet:— Same as butter. 

Sugar, granulated, or dry brown:— 1 cup, 
heaped, weighs 8 ounces; 1 tablespoon, 
heaped, Vz ounce. 

Tea:— 1 cup, heaped, weighs 2 ounces; 1 
tablespoon, heaped, weighs % ounce; 1 
teaspoon, heaped, V% ounce. 



LIQUIDS. 

Cream:— 1 cup holds Vz pint and 
ounces. - 



weighs 7 



„unces. • 
Milk:— 1 cup holds Vz pint and weighs 8 

ounces. 
Molasses:— 1 cup holds Vz pint and weighs 

12 ounces. 
Vinegar:— 1 cup holds V% pint and weighs 

8 ounces. 
v Water:— 1 cup holds Vz pint and weighs 8 

ounces. 



MEASURING CUPS, ETC. 

Cup:— 1 cup holds Mj pint or 8 fluid ounces, 
or 16 tablespoons or 32 teaspoons; 1 cup 
holds 7 ounces of lard or butter, 4 oz. of 
flour (when heaped 6 oz. flour or 4 of 
coffee) ; 2 ounces of tea and 8 ounces of 
raisins. 

Basting-spoon:— 4 basting-spoons make 1 
cupful ; 1 basting-spoon equals 4 table- 
spoons or 8 teaspoons. 

Tablespoon:— 1 tablespoon holds Vz ounce 
of water; 8 tablespoons liquid make 1 
gill; 16 tablespoons liquid make 1 cup- 
ful; 1 tablespoon, heaped, holds Vt 
ounce of barley, corn-meal, corn- 
starch, ground spice, flour, sago, sugar; 
and Vz ounce of ground coffee, and ^ 
ounce of tea. 

Teaspoon:— 1 teaspoon holds Vz table- 
spoon; 16 teaspoons liquid make 1 gill, 
and 32 teaspoons liquid make 1 cup. 1 
teaspoon holds H ounce of ground cof- 
fee, and \% ounce of tea, and Vz of the 
other articles given above for a table- 
spoon. 

A tumbler, common size, holds V4 pint, or 
8 fluid ounces. 

A wine glass, common size, holds Vz gill, 
or 2 fluid ounces. 



AVOIRDUPOIS WEIGHT. 

16 drams (dr.) make 1 ounce (oz). 

16 ounces make 1 pound (ft). 

25 pounds make 1 quarter (qr.). 

4 quarters make 1 hundred weight (cwt.). 

20 hundred weight make 1 ton (T.). 



LIQUID OR WINE MEASURE. 

4 gills make 1 pint (pt.). 
2 pints make 1 quart (qt.). 
4 quarts make 1 gallon (gal.). 
3154 gallons make 1 barrel (bbl.). 
63 gallons make 1 hogshead (hhd.). 
2 hogsheads make 1 pipe or butt (pi.). 



DRY MEASURE. 

2 pints make 1 quart. 
8 quarts make 1 peck. 
4 pecks make 1 bushel. 
8 bushels make 1 quarter. 



W 



CLOTH MEASURE. 

2U inches make 1 nail. 

4 nails make M yard. 

4 quarters make 1 yard. 

3 quarters make 1 Ell Flemish. 

5 quarters make 1 Ell English. 

Cloth Measure is little used at present. In 
measuring goods sold by the yard, it is di- 
vided into halves, quarters, eighths and six- 
teenths. 



LINEAR .MEASURE. 

12 inches=l foot. 
3feet=l yard. 
6V2yards=l rod or pole. 
40rods=l furlong. 
8furlongs=l mile. 
3miles=l league. 

3 barley-corns=l inch. 

4 inches=l hand. 
9 inches=l span. 

21.888 inches=l sacred cubit. 

18 inches=l English cubit. 

6 feet=l fathom. 

120 fathoms=l cable's length. 

6086.7 feet=l knot. 

3 feet=l pace. 

1.152M common miles=l geographical mile. 

3 geographical miles=l league. 

60 geographical miles=l degree. 

360 degrees^ the circumference of the globe. 

THE METRIC SYSTEM. 

Measures of Weight. 

1 milligramme=0.015432 grains. 
1 gramme=15.432 grains. 
1 decagramme=0.022046 pounds. 
1 hectogramme=0.22046 pounds. 
1 kilogramme=2.2046 pounds. 
1 myriagramme=22.046 pounds. , 

Measures of Capacity. 

1 millilitre=0.0610 cubic in.=338 fluid oz. 

1 litre= 1.0567 quarts. 

1 dekalitre=2.6417 gallons. 

1 kektolitre=26.4175 gallons=2.84 bushels. 

1 kilolitre=264.175 gallons=28.37 bushels. 

Measures of Length. 

1 millimetre=0.03937 inch. 
1 centimetre=0.3937 inch. 
1 metre=39.37 inch. 
1 decametre=32.809 feet. 
1 hectometre=328.09 feet. 
1 kilometre=.6213 mile. 
1 myriametre=6.2138 mile. 



MEDICINAL TERMS AND APOTHECA- 
RIES WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 

Measures. 
60 minims (M) or drops=l fluidrachm (/ 3.) 
8 fluidrachms=l fluid ounce (/ ?.) 
16 fluid ounces=l pint (O.) 
8 pints=l gallon (Cong.) 

Weights. 
20 grains (gr. xx)=l scruple (3 or sc.) 
3 scruples (3 ii.i)=l drachm (3 or dr.) 
8 drachms (3 viij)=l ounce (1 or oz.) 
12 ounces (1 xij)=l pound (tt>.) 

Physicians in writing prescriptions use 
the Roman numerals instead of figures, but 
the small letters only, which they precede 
by the symbols. They write j for i when 
it terminates a number. Thus?vij means 
7 ounces, 3xiv means 14 scruples, etc. Q 
is an abreviation for recipe, or take; P for 
particula, or little part; q. s. quantity suf- 
ficient; P. asq. for equal parts; q. p. as 



much as you please; gr. for grain; ss. for 
semi;&, aa. for equal quantities, ij. for 2; 
gttisadrop; Cong, is an abreviation of 
congius, the latin for gallon; O. for octarius, 
the latin for one-eighth. The minim is 
equal to a drop of water; a pint of water 
weighs a pound. 



MISCELLANEOUS TABLES COMPRIS- 
ING VARIOUS THINGS WORTH 
KNOWING. 

Counting.— 12 units make a dozen; 12 
dozen make a gross; 12 gross make a great 
gross. 20 units make a score. 

Paper.— 24 sheets make 1 quire; 20 quires 
make 1 ream; 2 reams make 1 bundle. 

Books.— A sheet of paper folded in two 
leaves makes a folio or 4 pages; in four 
leaves a quarto, 4 to, or 8 pages; in 8 leaves 
an octavo, 8 vo, or 16 pages; in 12 leaves, a 
duodecimo, 12 mo, or 24 pages; in 16 leaves, 
a 16 mo, or 32 pages; in 18 leaves an 18 mo, 
or 36 pages. These terms are applied 
without regard to the size of the sheet 
folded, which may vary widely. 

Apples, dried, a bushel=22 to 28 lbs* 

Barley, a bushel =48 fi>s (in most states). 

Beans, a bushel=60 lbs. 

Beef, a barrel=200 fl>s. 

Buckwheat, a bushel=40to52 fi> 

Butter, a firkin=56 lbs. 

Butter, a tub =84 lbs. 

Bran, a bushel=20 lbs. 

Clover seed, a bushel=60 lbs. 

Corn, a bushel, shelled=56 B>s (in most 
states). 

Corn, a bushel, on the cob=70 or 68 B>s.* 

Flaxseed, a bushel =55 or 56 lbs.* 

Fish, a quintal=100 B>s. 

Fish, a barrel =200 lbs. 

Feathers, a bale=about 1 cwt, 

Flour, a barrel=196 lbs. 

Honey, a gal Ion =12 lbs. 

Meat, a stone=80 lbs. 

Molasses, a hogshead=130 to 150 gallons.* 

Oats, a bushel=32 lbs (in most states). 

Onions, a bushel=48 to 57 lbs.* 

Peaches, dried, a bushel=28 to 33 lbs.* 

Potatoes, a bushel=60 lbs. 

Pork, a barrel=200 lbs. 

Rice, a barrel =600 lbs. 

Raisins, a barrel=112 lbs. 

Rye, a bushel=56 lbs. 

Salt, a barrel=280 lbs. 

Salt, a bushel=70 lbs. 

Soap, a barrel =256 lbs. 

Soap, a box =75 lbs. 

Soap, a firkin=64 lbs. 

Sugar, a barrel =200 to 250 lbs* 

Tea, a chest=60 to 84 lbs* 

Timothy seed, a bushel=45 lbs. (in most 
states). 

Tobacco, a hhd.=168lbs. 

Wool, a tod =28 lbs. 



(8) 



* Varying in different states. 

DEGREES OF HEAT FROM FUEL. 

Coal produce 1000° F. ; wood (hard) 800° to 
900°; charcoal (ordinary) 70C°; charcoal 
(willow) 600°. 



INTRODUCTION. 



"We grow like what we eat. Bad food depresses. Good food exhalts us like an inspira- 
tion." 

Primitive man did not cook. Although the origin of man is veiled in obscur- 
ity, and the habits and customs of the earliest races are somewhat conjectural, all 
the indications are that for an indefinite period primitive man must have lived 
largely on raw nuts and fruits. Then, in his slow, upward advance, his earliest 
weapons were clubs or rude stone implements, with which he killed animals, 
whose flesh he tore apart and devoured raw. When by some happy accident 
primitive man discovered fire, it marked the dawn of a new era for him. It was 
undoubtedly one of the most important and beneficial discoveries ever made by 
the race. Many savage races have been discovered even in recent times who 
were unacquainted with fire, and who, on seeing it, regarded it with a super- 
stitious feeling of awe, and attributed to it some form of life. Fire having been 
discovered, men must have tried to dry and roast their food. Probably burying 
seeds and meat in hot ashes was the earliest form of cooking. This would im- 
prove its flavor and make it more easily eaten, but it would befoul the food more 
or less. Then man hit on the plan of suspending his meat on spits above the fire, 
and so grilling- arose. It is not probable that even in the days of Homer the art 
of cookery was much advanced beyond this stage, for nowhere in his poems does 
he speak of boiled meat, although in the "Iliad" we read that the 
great Achilles and his friend Patroclus regaled the three Grecian leaders with 
bread, wine and broiled meat. The Jews, however, early learned the art of boil- 
ing, and they had kettles, in one of which the mess of pottage for which Esau 
sold his birthright to Jacob, must have been boiled. As civilization advanced, 
the art of cookery slowly developed, until, in the days of Roman luxury (about the 
time of the birth of Christ) it attained great prominence, and Athenseus has pre- 
served the names of the authors of many cook books, Archestratus being probably 
the first, as he was certainly the most famous. Men of note from the island of 
Sicily became the most celebrated cooks, and commanded great prices for their 
services. 

The cereals (named from Ceres, the goddess of agriculture) were early known 
to the race. The Assyrians, Egyptians and Greeks used to make bread in which 
oil, with aniseseed and other spices, was an element, but it was unleavened. Tra- 
dition says that somewhere about the 30th Olympiad (about 724 B. C.) the slave 
of an archon at Athens left some wheaten dough in an earthen pot and forgot it. 
Some days afterwards he found it, but it was turning sour and he was about to 
throw it away, when his master appeared, and so he mixed it with some fresh 
dough on which he was working. The bread produced by this dough in which 
alcholic fermentation had begun was found delicious by the archon and his 
friends, and- when the slave was summoned, he told his secret. Thus leavened 
bread was discovered by accident. The news spread rapidly, a great demand for 
the new bread sprang up, and certain persons set up as bread makers (the first 
bakers) and "Athenian bread" soon became famous throughout Greece. Down 
as late as the Roman Emperors, however, no bolted flour was known, and to this 
day, in many parts of Germany the entire meal is used. 

(9) 



10 INTRODUCTION. 

The common people among the Greeks ate a kind of barley-gruel, which was 
a national dish and was made as follows: — -"Dry near the tire in the oven 20 lbs. 
of barley flour; then parch it; add 3 lbs. linseed meal, % lb. coriander seed, 2 oz. 
salt, and the quantity of water necessary." To this a little millet was sometimes 
added to give the paste greater- cohesion and delicacy. Oatmeal was used by 
the Greeks and Romans, and so was rice, which they considered beneficial to the 
chest. Wheat was used, and a favorite Carthagenian pudding (which was also a 
favorite with the Romans) was made with wheat flour as follows: — "Sift the flour 
and, with some water, put it into a wooden vessel, and for 10 days renew the 
water twice each day; then press out the water and put the paste in another 
vessel; reduce it to the consistency of thick lees, pass it twice through a piece of 
linen; then dry it in the sun and boil it in milk; season according to taste." 

The ancient Egyptians cultivated very much the same agricultural products 
as at the present day, and the same is true of the Greeks, and we find the vine, 
the fig, the olive, the apple and other fruits, mentioned by the ancient writers. 
In the vegetables used for food there has been much more change in modern 
times than with the cereals. Every one knows that the potato was introduced 
after the discovery of America, but many other vegetables now in common use 
were unknown to our forefathers even a few generations back, and the fruits then 
in common use were very different from those now in popular favor. Prof. Tho- 
rold Rogers, writing of the condition of things in England four or five centuries 
ago, says: "Scurvy in its most violent forms, and leprosy, modified perhaps by the 
climate, were common disorders, for, as has often been said, the people lived on 
salt meat half the year, and not only were they without the potato but they do 
not appear to have had other roots now in common use, as carrots and parsnips. 

Onions and cabbage appear to have been the only esculent vegetables Spices, 

the cheapest of which was pepper, were quite out of their reach. Sugar was a 
very costly luxury, and our forefathers do not appear, judging from the scarcity 
of the notices, to have been very skillful in their management of bees." How 
would our readers like to get along without sugar and spices, and with no escu- 
lent vegetables but the onion and cabbage ! 

If we turn from the past to the cookery of the present day, we find that each 
nation has its own peculiarities. Among some of the European nations the art of 
cookery has been carried to a high degree of perfection, and we might learn many 
valuable lessons by a study of their methods. One thing in which they excel is 
in their use of soups. Soups are not a luxury, nor are they the last resort of poverty, 
and all classes in Europe regard them as a necessary part of their dinner. Amer- 
icans might use them more generally to advantage. We elsewhere discuss the 
peculiarities of the cookery of the leading nations of Europe. 

When we consider the onerous duties of the housekeeper, who in the majority 
of cases is also the cook, we cannot over-estimate the importance of her position, 
holding as she does in her keeping, in a great degree, the welfare, health and 
happiness of her household. She has the general care of the home; she must 
provide apparel for her family, suited to the varying seasons, and must prepare 
or supervise the preparation of 3 meals per day for 365 days in the year. This 
last division involves on the part of the housekeeper an appalling amount of 
mental as well as physical labor, and it is hoped the recipes for cooking which 
we give, will greatly assist her in this department. 

Count Rumford, "clear of thought, and straight of vision," remarked that 
"the number of inhabitants who may be supported in any country upon its 
internal products, depends as much upon the state of the art of cookery, as upon 
that of agriculture." If cookery be of so much importance, it ought certainly to 
be studied with the greatest care. If any work requires "eternal vigilance," it is 
cookery. There are so many ways where a little variation in quality of ingre- 
dients; a little time lost just when some article of food needs attention or the. 
fuel fails to burn as expected, that one must, for the time being, give it undivided 
thought. Although some processes require more attention than others, none can 
be properly performed if left long to itself. A good cook is pretty frequent in 
her visits to the fire to see how the operation is going on, and to seize the proper 
moment in giving her assistance. 

The model cook should be neat in her apparel; dress her hair in a tidy man- 
ner and always in her own room; the toilet should never be made in the kitchen, 



INTRODUCTION. 11 

neither wholly, nor in part. Her hands and nails should be scrupulously clean; 
if there is no time to attend particularly to the nails, they should be cut so short 
that no special care is needed for them, aside, from the use. of a nail-brush. Long, 
black finger-nails on the hands of a cook, are not appetizing to those who partake 
of her food. 

A good cook is never wasteful, for the reason that she knows how to turn 
everything to account. A few scraps of cold meat may be minced, nicely flavored, 
and with an egg and a few bread crumbs, dainty rissoles, or croquettes, can be 
made. Cold vegetables, scraps of meat and cold fish, can be made into salads, 
or hashes, that are liked by most people. 

While cooking, a clean towel, and a dish-pan of hot water constantly at hand 
in the sink is indispensable. It is convenient for washing any utensil that may 
be needed while at work, and in it the hands may be cleansed from time to time 
if they become smeared; there are also many spare minutes while baking, when 
dishes no longer needed may be washed and put away, thus making lighter the 
task of cleaning up when all is done. 

Punctuality in serving meals cannot be too much insisted on. As soon as 
possible after one meal, preparation and forethought for the next will greatly 
facilitate this desirable condition. After the house is put in order in the morning, 
vegetables should be made ready, the soup put over the fire if it is a part of the 
meal, and the desert arranged. If a late dinner is served, the luncheon should be 
punctually laid at noon, and the preparations for dinner can be leisurely made in 
the afternoon. Cooking for a noonday meal should commence early in the day, 
for hurry and good cooking can never go together. 

Intoxicating Liquors. — In all recipes contained in the department of cookery, 
which advised the use of intoxicating liquors, we have substituted fruit juices— 
often using orange or lemon juice. Nothing can excel the unfermented juices 
of fruits as a flavoring, or for giving a desirable piquancy to various dishes. 
They make an almost perfect substitute for liquors, and for obvious reasons are 
much safer for family use. Fruit juice can be easily substituted for liquor in 
any recipe by those who desire to do so. In fruit cake, % CU P or 10 tablespoons 
of molasses is equal to 1 wine glass of brandy or other liquor. Those so disposed 
can substitute molasses for liquor in this way in any such recipe found in books, 
magazines or newspapers; a cake thus made will be quite as good as though the 
liquor was used. As the alcohol evaporates in baking, however, liquors are not 
so objectionable in cakes as in sauces. 

SUGGESTIONS ABOUT FOOD AND FEEDING. 

The rapid increase of human knowledge within the last few decades, which 
we all view with more or less wonder, is affecting every department of human 
activity. The art of housekeeping is feeling its influence, and it is becoming 
clear that the time has come for a science of housekeeping. Many thoughtful 
minds are studying the subject, but no one can work at it long without seeing 
that household science lays all other sciences under tribute. Surely the running 
of a household is a no less important task than running a steam engine or 
steamboat, and it requires as much technical knowledge and skill. In an 
address made a few years ago by the President of the American Institute of 
Mining Engineers before that body, he said: "If technical instruction and 
skill in our workmen be essential to the economical development of industry, 
and the welfare of those engaged in it, the technical education of their wives 

is not one whit less important Scientific housekeeping is neither 

beneath the attention of the refined, nor beyond the reach of the uncultured. 
It is the duty of the rich; it is the salvation of the poor." Evidently this is 
perfectly true. 

_ Now no one can thoroughly master the art of cookery without knowing some- 
thing of the chemical composition of the various foods, and the uses they serve in 
the system. This knowledge is especially important to the poor, for they must 
necessarily practice the most rigid economy, and they should know what foods 
are best adapted to supply the real needs of their families, and how they can ob- 
tain the most and best nourishment for the least money; and yet they are the 
ones who know the least about the subject, as a rule. Carefully kept statistics 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

show that in families consisting of a man and his wife and 3 or 4 children, where 
the income is small or moderate, nearly 60$ of the whole amount is spent for food. 
Of course in families enjoying a larger income the proportion is less, but this 
shows the importance of the question, especially when it is remembered that 
those having moderate incomes constitute the great majority of the people. Let 
us glance, therefore, (briefly necessarily for want of space) at some of the prin- 
ciples which underlie the subject of food and feeding, leaving other branches of 
housekeeping for later treatment. And first let us take the assimilation and di- 
gestion of food. 

THE PROCESSES OF DIGESTION. 

An old and very good illustration likens the human body to a steam engine, 
and the food and water it uses, to the fuel and water fed to the engine. This anal- 
ogy, carried out, will show why any person who works hard, either with the mind 
or body, requires more food than one who does but little, a fact which is well 
known. On the other hand, when idle persons eat large quantities of nitrogen- 
ous food, they become victims of inflammatory disease, or their health otherwise 
suffers, according, probably, to whether they assimilate it or not. And what are 
the processes by which these wonderful bodies of ours assimilate the food which 
is given to them? Let us see. From the time the food enters the mouth, it may 
be considered as passing along one continuous tube or canal (which is some 35 
feet long and of varying size), and as it passes along, part is taken up and assim- 
ilated, and part is finally rejected as useless to the body. This journey through 
the body may be divided into 5 stages, in which the food is submitted to the al- 
ternate action of certain alkaline and acid fluids which cut it up and fit it for 
assimilation by the system. 

First.— When food is taken into the mouth, it is masticated, that is, it is 
crushed and torn by the teeth so that it will readily fall to pieces and can then 
be easily acted on by the digestive juices. While in the mouth the. food is 
thoroughly mixed (or should be) with a fluid secreted by the salivary glands, and 
known as saliva. This saliva is a glairy, adhesive and alkaline fluid, which pro- 
duces the first chemical change in the food; the saliva possesses the power of 
acting very rapidly on starch, and it turns part of it into sugar, which is the first 
step towards its digestion. 

Second. — The food now passes into the stomach, where it is subjected to the 
action of the gastric juice. This is secreted in considerable quantities by the 
inner lining of the stomach, and it is a clear, transparent and acid fluid, contain- 
ing a peculiar and important principle, called pepsin. This acid gastric juice 
neutralizes the alkaline saliva and checks its further action* (although as it 
penetrates the mass of food somewhat slowly, the action of the saliva is not 
checked immediately on entering the stomach) and it is strong enough to dis- 
solve the fibrin and albumen of the food. Acted upon by this fluid, and by cer- 
tain wave-like muscular movements of the stomach, the food in time becomes 
thoroughly dissolved, with the exception of the fatty and oily matter, which is not 
thus far affected. The stomach acts solely on albumenoids, and not upon starch, 
sugar or fat. Small quantities of mild acids, like vinegar and lemon juice, add to 
the solvent power of the gastric juice and are therefore beneficial with meats and 
vegetables not easily digested. It will be evident, that to be easily acted on 
by the juices of the stomach, the food should readily separate into minute part- 
icles, and it should not be enveloped in fat, as is the case with pastry. Unlike 
the lobster tribe, the human stomach does not contain teeth and so cannot grind 
and tear the food in pieces, hence, if it is not thoroughly masticated by the teeth, 
before reaching the stomach, digestion will be slow and difficult, and a fit of in- 
digestion will be very apt to follow. Prom the stomach the food passes into the 
small intestine, or duodenum, and it is then called chyme. 

Third. — While the food is in the duodenum, or small intestine, it is subjected 
to the action of the bile. This is a greenish colored, viscid fluid, of a bitter taste 



*One of the fundamental principles of chemistry which every one should iknow, is that 
an alkali will neutralize an acid, or an acid an alkali. The two being antagonistic, (if we 
can use that term) one will neutralize the other at any time. 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

and an unpleasant smell. It is slightly alkaline, but consists principally of two pe- 
culiar resinous acids (cholic and choleic) in combination with soda. The precise ac- 
tion of the bile on the chyme or food is not very clear, but it neutralizes the acids of 
the gastric juice and makes it alkaline, so that the pancreatic juices can act on it, 
and it probably assists in converting it into chyle, as it is then called, and in 
rendering it capable of absorption bj< the lacteals. This chyle is a milky fluid, 
which supplies the matter from which the blood is formed. 

Fourth. — While in the duodenum, and being acted on by the bile, the chyme 
is also subjected to the action of the pancreatic juice, which is secreted by the 
pancreas. This pancreas is sometimes sold as sweetbreads, and many are 
familiar with it under that name. This pancreatic juice is alkaline, much like 
saliva, from 5 to 7 oz. of it being secreted daily, but it has the power of acting on 
the fats and oils and converting them into an emulsion, and thereby fits them 
for absorption into the system. Oil and water will not mix, but when cut into 
fine particles by an alkali, like soda or potash, oil will mingle with water. Now 
this is what the alkaline pancreatic juice does for the fats and oils — it cuts them 
into fine particles so that they mingle readily with the watery fluid, and are 
afterwards readily absorbed by the villi, but it produces little other change in 
them. Also the process of converting starch into sugar goes on here once more. 
It is in the duodenum that the fats and oils are really digested. The reader will 
notice that the alkaline juices, like the saliva, etc., act mainly on the fats and 
carbohydrates of the food, while the acid juices of the stomach act mainly on the 
albumenoids. (Those who wonder what "albumenoids" and "carbohydrates" are, 
will find an explanation later on.) 

Fifth. — The food now passes along the intestinal canal, pushed along by many 
muscles, and it is acted on by the intestinal fluids, which are the last in the pro- 
cess, and which appear to be somewhat akin to saliva. 

Next, this fluid {chyle) as it passes along, is absorbed into the lacteal system by 
small projecting filaments {villi) and it is then conveyed to the mesenteric 
glands, as they are called, and these glands change a part of it to corpuscles, and 
it is carried along in small tubes to an elongated pouch with a formidable looking 
name (the receptaculum chyli) which lies in front of the spine. From this pouch 
the fluid is conveyed up a tube, called the thoracic duct, to the left side of the 
neck, where a little valve opens and it flows into and mixes with the impure 
blood returning through the veins; these carry it to the heart, which pumps it 
into the lungs, where it is subjected to the action of the air, the oxygen in which 
consumes its impurities. It is now fresh, pure blood, and the arteries distribute 
it through the body to perform its work in the system. Every 3 to 5 minutes the 
blood courses over the system, according to the state of the health or the amount 
of exercise taken. As the blood thus comes to it, every part of the body has the 
singular power of taking to itself the elements it needs for growth or repair. 
The liver takes the elements needed for bile; the glands of the mouth those 
needed for saliva; the glands of the eye those needed for tears; the cartilages 
take their needed sulphur, soda, etc.; the bones take their phosphate of lime, 
calcium, magnesia, etc.; the muscles take their albumen, fibrin, phosphates, 
etc.; the nerves and brain, most wonderful of all, get their phosphorus, water, 
fats and albumen, forming that wonderful brain substance by which we feel, 
smell, taste, hear, see and think, and become conscious of life, and the stupendous 
universe about us, with its tremendous and absorbing problems. 

From the foregoing it will be clear that the blood is what the food makes it, 
and as the supply of food is increased or decreased, or its quality altered, so the 
blood is affected, and the health maintained or impaired; hence the importance of 
adopting such rules of diet and regimen as will ensure a due supply of healthy 
blood to the system. So much for the process by which the body assimilates its 
food. If this process is once clearly understood, it will make plain many facts in 
regard to foods and their uses. Now let us inquire a little into the composi- 
tion of the body, which grinds up, dissolves and assimilates its food in this 
remarkable way. 

COMPOSITION OF THE BODY. 

The principal chemical substances found in the body are oxygen, hydrogen, 
carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus and chlorine, and the metals, iron, 



U INTRODUCTION. 

sodium, potassium, lime and magnesia. The body derives its nourishment from 
compounds of the elements, not directly from the elements themselves; thus, 
although nitrogen composes f of the air, it only nourishes the body when it 
comes as a compound resulting from some form of life. The 4 most important 
elements are oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen. A human body weighing 
154 lbs. is found to contain, oxygen 111 lbs.; hydrogen 14 lbs.; carbon 21 lbs.; 
nitrogen 3 lbs. 10 oz. In a body of the same weight we find that the compounds 
in which these elements exist, and their weights in the body are: 

lbs. oz. 

Water, containing oxygen and hydrogen 116 

Gelatine, containing the 4 elements ' 16 

Albumen, " " " " 4 3 

Fibrin, " " " " 4 4 

Fat, containing carbon and hydrogen 12 

Of course these figures are only approximate. The various other elements also 
always appear in different combinations, as calcium in the bones and teeth; 
sulphur in the tissues and secretions; phosphorus in the bones and brain, and so 
on. These necessary compounds of the human body represent albumenoids or 
flesh-formers, carbohydrates or heat-givers, and salts or mineral matters. These 
elements are received into the human system in the form of food, and become 
distributed to the different parts of the body by the process of digestion 
and assimilation. If any of these elements are wanting, the system suffers and 
they must be restored to the individual. For example, rickets in children is 
caused by the bones containing too little lime, and, hence, the best remedy in its 
early stage is plenty of lime water, or some other substance containing lime. 
Now we find that the ultimate elements of the food we take are precisely simi- 
lar to the ultimate elements of the human body, therefore let us next examine 
the composition of the different foods so that we may know how to supply the va- 
rious elements needed by the system. 

THE COMPOSITION OF FOODS. 

Air, food and water are the essential chemical compounds, without which no 
living creature can exist. Nature has lavishly enveloped us with the first of 
these elements, and water, the next great want, is given without stint to those 
who choose to dwell where it is abundant; but to obtain food has given man the 
most concern, and civilized man has encompassed the globe to minister to his 
needs in this line. According to government rations for soldiers, about 2% 
pounds of dry food daily is required for each man, 3^ part being meat. 

Liebig divides food into 2 classes: — First, the nitrogenous elements of nutri- 
tion, i. e., the flesh-formers. In this class are placed albumen, vegetable and meat 
fibres, etc. In the second class are the non-nitrogenous elements, or heat pro- 
ducing foods, as fat, starch and sugar. A mixed diet has been found to be the 
most conducive to health, and the best drink is water. This fluid forms over % 
of the weight of the body. The function of food may therefore be described as 
twofold: First, to produce and maintain the structures necessary to all life; and 
second, to generate heat. 

A distinguished physiologist has said, "the whole animal body is modified 
protoplasm;" and this protoplasm (the original cells of nutrition) combined with 
air and water, is found in the food we take into the system. The food necessary 
for the perfect development of the various tissues of the body — bone, cartilage, 
muscle, brain, with its system of nerves, and blood — the all-pervading and all- 
sustaining mother-tissue — must consist of a judicious combination of the 3 great 
nutritive elements, viz., the Albumenoids, or Proteids as they are frequently 
called, the Carbohydrates and the Fats, and a certain amount of Salts are also 
needed. But some reader will say, what is meant by "albumenoids" and "carbo- 
hydrates" and what are they? Let us examine the various food elements a little. 
If you will recall our previous illustration, where the human body was likened 
to a steam engine, it will be evident that 2 things will be needed: First, certain 
parts which do not burn, like the boiler and metal work of the engine; and 
second, the introduction of certain substances which do burn, like the fuel fed 
to the engine. Now nitrogen possesses the peculiar power, when combined with 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

the other elements, of interfering with their power to unite with oxygen, that is, 
it prevents their burning, for what we term burning is simply a rapid combina- 
tion of oxygen with other elements (oxydation it is called); thus, in burning coal, 
for instance, the oxygen of the air rapidly unites with the carbon of the coal, 
and heat is given off — that is what takes place as it burns. Now, when hydrogen 
and carbon are united with nitrogen, as is the case with the tissues of the body, 
(nitrogen forms 16 % of animal tissues) the nitrogen prevents the tissues them- 
selves from burning readily, although oxydizing (burning) processes take place 
in them. Let this principal be clearly understood, for it forms the basis of all 
that is known about a suitable dietary for the system; for a perfect diet should 
consist of enough nitrogenous material to produce and maintain the tissues, as 
we have said before, and hydrocarbons enough to generate heat for working the 
body. Although the primary use of nitrogenous food is to produce and maintain 
the tissues, secondarily it, also facilitates the absorption of the carbohydrates; 
and although the carbohydrates produce force, they also, in some measure, con- 
tribute to the formation of tissue. The first of the great food elements of which 
we spoke were the albumenoids, so let us see what they are. 

Albumenoids (they are often also called Proteids) is a name applied to all the 
foods which serve the same purpose as albumen. Albumen (from albus, meaning 
white) is a complex substance, chemically considered. It contains hydrogen, 
carbon, some oxygen, a little sulphur, and its essential characteristic of nitrogen. 
The albumenoids, therefore, all contain nitrogen, while neither fats, starches nor 
sugars do, and for this reason they are often called nitrogenous, and sometimes 
they are spoken of as the flesh-formers. As we explained in describing the pro- 
cess of digestion, the albumenoids are principally digested in the stomach, and 
after passing into the blood, they are conveyed to the tissues which they nourish, 
(albumen being changed to fibrin, and fibrin to flesh) and we have just explained 
the importance of the fact that they do not readily oxydize. The surplus and 
waste albumenoids are oxydized (burned) in the liver, and there they give the 
acids of the bile, and the solids of the urine, and their imperfect oxydation pro- 
duces biliousness. And now let us see about the foods from which we derive the 
albumenoids. The white of an egg is almost pure albumen, and is the most 
familiar instance of it; but nothing can live and grow without nitrogen, and so 
our supplies of albumenoids come as lean meat, fish, gluten in flour, milk curd or 
cheese, gelatine, fibrin in oats, in beans, peas and lentils, and in eggs, while in the 
yolk of the egg it is called vitellin. Albumen is found in many foods besides 
egg; the blood of many animals contains it, most vegetable juices and many 
seeds and nuts. Fibrin (an albumenoid) is both animal and vegetable, and is 
found in the muscles of animals, and in wheat and other grains. Casein is an 
albumenoid that is found in the curd of milk, and in the pulses, i. e., beans, peas 
and len tils. Vegetable casein is sometimes called legumen, but was given that name 
before it was known to be practically the same as animal casein of milk. Gela- 
tine and some substances nearly like it, are known as gelatinoids, and they can 
replace albumen in part, though not altogether. Ossein is the part of bones to 
which they owe their strength and elasticity. When boiled under enough press- 
ure to prevent the escape of steam, it changes to gelatine, but in cold water it is 
insoluble. 

It is easy to see that the albumenoids are more costly than the starches, and 
even than the fats, and that therefore these are the foods that the poorest 
people suffer from the want of. On the other hand these are the foods that taste 
well, and of these many well-to-do people eat too much. They are sometimes 
called flesh-formers because their chief use is to provide material to build up 
the body (in the growth from childhood to maturity) and in adult life to replace 
material lost in work. It does not, however, follow that the more flesh-formers 
they eat, the larger the children will grow, or that the more a person swallows 
after middle life is passed, the more he will economize his failing strength. To 
overload a child with food is a sure way to make him small and feeble, and after 
middle life, if people get heavier, it is because they accumulate stores of fat, 
which is certainly no advantage. Although the system can convert one 
albumenoid into another, it cannot form an albumenoid out of fat or starch; 
hence, no other food element can, for any length of time, be substituted for the 
albumenoids without injury to the system. 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

Putrefaction was supposed, until a few years ago, to toe caused by the action of 
oxygen, but it has now been demonstrated that it is caused by minute germs, called 
bacteria. When the bacteria attack dead matter, which contains nitrogen, the result is 
putrefaction. Fermentation is the result when they attack matter which does not 
contain nitrogen. Meat, fruit and food are preserved from the action of these bacteria 
by dryin"- by canning, and by using antiseptics. Drying protects against them because 
they cannot live without water, and their spores will not germinate without moisture. 
Canning offers protection by heating the article canned until the bacteria are all killed, 
and then sealing up the can so that no more can enter; and antiseptics act by poisoning or 
destroying these low forms of life. 

Carbohydrates.— In the human body, as in the steam engine, the fuel consists 
of carbon and hydrogen, which readily unite with oxygen— that is, they burn, and 
so supply heat and power to run the machine or organism. This fire burns con- 
stantly in the body, but " instead of taking place in one spot and so rapidly as to 
be accompanied by light, as in the fire in the grate, it takes place in each drop of 
blood, and so slowly and continuously as not to be noticed." From the 2 ele- 
ments of carbon and hydrogen, starch, sugar and fat are built up. In using the 
fuel — food, the system turns the starch to sugar, and the sugar to fat. It is in the 
form of fat that the surplus carbohydrates are stored up, and it is then drawn on 
in times of need. The average amount of fat so stored up suffices for about 10 
days' fuel, but the hybernating bear lives through the winter on his stored up 
fat. Fats we speak of later, but by the carbohydrates are generally meant 
starch, and the different sugars (sugar of milk and the vegetable sugars), although 
cellulose, pectose, gum, etc., are closely allied to the carbohydrates, and would 
be classed with them. The starches and sugars come mainly from the vegetable 
world. The average working man requires 17 to 18 ounces of carbohydrates daily 
in his food, a much larger quantity of these carbohydrates than of fats being 
needed to furnish a given amount of force to the body. 

Sugar is so easily dissolved and diffused that it requires no preliminary di- 
gestive process to prepare it for assimilation; it passes without change into the 
circulation. If, however, it is supplied in excess of the needs of the sys- 
tem, on reaching the stomach it undergoes lactic acid fermentation, and thus 
occasions the acidity from which some dyspeptics suffer. When not in excess, 
the sugar is carried on to the liver, where it undergoes certain changes which 
lead us to think that it contributes to the production of fat, rather than force. 
There are 3 kinds of sugar — sucrose, or cane sugar; glucose, or grape sugar; 
lactose, or milk sugar, and they are all composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxy- 
gen. Where taken as food, both lactose and sucrose are converted by the gastric 
juice, etc., into glucose, in which form they are absorbed into the circulation. 
Glucose undergoes no change. Sugar fuses at 320°, and at 420° F. it turns into 
a brown substance, called caramel. Sugar will decompose by fermentation and 
break up into simpler compounds. 

Saccharine.— This sweetening agent which is being substituted in place of sugar in some 
instances, was discovered about 1879 by Oonstantine Fahlberg, then a student in Johns 
Hopkins University at Baltimore. It is derived from coal-tar, and possesses 500 times the 
sweetening power of sugar. It is not a carbohydrate, like sugar, and it possesses no nutri- 
tive value, as it passes through the system unchanged. It is an acid, will not ferment, 
and has some antiseptic properties, retarding decomposition and fermentation. It Is 
slightly soluble in cold water, more so in warm, and quite soluble in boiling water. Its use 
is not at all injurious. As it has no nutritive value, it must be regarded more as a spice 
than as a food. Owing to its intense sweetness it must be much diluted for use. Because 
of its antiseptic properties it will be useful in preserving fruits and fruit juices. It is also 
very useful in diseases like diabetes, glycosure, obesity, etc., where sugar is injurious, and 
also in babies' food. It is one of the new additions made by modern science to the 
resources of the housewife, as well as the physician and manufacturer, and its use will 
doubtless rapidly increase in the near future. It should never be put into cold water and 
then boiled to dissolve it, as that causes its partial decomposition; add it to hot fluids only 
after they are removed from the fire. It should never come into' direct' contact with 
metallic vessels. 

Starch. — Before starch can be taken into the blood, the digestive juices must 
turn it into sugar, and we explained how that is done in describing the process 
of digestion. Raw starch would pass out of the system unassimilated. When 
boiled, the granules are burst and are then readily converted into sugar. If not 
acted on by the saliva, it passes on to the duodenum, or small intestine, where its 
digestion really takes place. If the stomach is over-loaded with starch at any 
time, the digestion will be influenced by certain fermentations which result. It 
seems to be the opinion of the best authorities at present that the fermentation 
of starchy foods, for which their stomachs are not prepared, is the cause of the 



INTRODUCTION 17 

severe and troublesome diarrhoeas of small children. To show the value of cook- 
ing and the differences in starches, it may be said, that experiment has shown 
that uncooked starch from Indian corn may be completely turned into sugar by 
the action of the saliva in 3 minutes, oat starch in 6 minutes, wheat starch in 40 
minutes, and potato starch in 3 hours, but after thorough cooking, all starches 
require nearly the same time, so that cooking greatly aids its digestion. Under 
the microscope, starch is seen to consist of little rounded granules, varying in 
form according to the plant from which they are derived. The granules are 
covered with a skin which is insoluble in cold water, but which bursts in boiling 
water, letting out the starch which is inside. 

Bread, potatoes, rice, barley and all the floury foods contain more starch than 
anything else, and corn-flour, sago, tapioca and arrowroot are nearly pure 
starches. There is much starch also in beans, peas and lentils, though they are 
often spoken of as flesh -forming foods, because of the large amount of casein 
which they contain. There is no starch in milk, but sugar which takes its place. 
It will be seen that the starchy foods are the cheapest and most abundant of all, 
so that whenever people have enough of any food, they are pretty sure to have 
enough of these. The poor people get these most readily, but the richer classes 
and brain-workers take more albumenoids and fats, and less of the carbohydrates, 
at least in their starchy form. Starch is composed of oxygen, hydrogen and 
carbon, and when heated to 401° F. it becomes dextrin, which is more easily di- 
gested than starch, although its chemical composition is the same. This dextrin 
is used in preparing many of the "infant foods," and it is sometimes called 
"British gum," or "starch gum." 

The Cellulose or cell structure of plants is closely allied to the carbohydrates, 
it being composed of oxygen, hydrogen and carbon. It must first be changed in- 
to sugar before it can be absorbed into the system. Cellulose appears in the mem- 
brane which surrounds the grains, in the rinds of fruits, in the skins of seeds, in 
the woody fibre of grain stalks, etc., while cotton, linen and linen paper are 
mainly composed of it. When submitted to the action of strong sulphuric acid 
it may be turned to sugar; but while the chemist in his laboratory can change 
cellulose into sugar, the human stomach does not readily act on it. In young 
and tender plants, like lettuce, celery, cabbage, etc., the stomach digests from 
50$ to 60$ of the cellulose, but in older plants it often becomes almost indigest- 
ible. Even the ox with his many stomachs only gets out of grass and hay about 
60$ of its albumenoids, and with man, vegetable foods, as generally prepared, 
yield from 25$ to 50$ less of their nutrients than do animal foods. A working 
man will digest 97$ of the meat he eats, while only 60$ of the nutrients of a dish of 
beans are assimilated, because the beans are encased in a tough skin of cellulose; 
and this shows the need of thorough cooking, and the separation of the cellulose as 
far as possible from the other ingredients. Cellulose should, on the whole, be re- 
garded as a foreign substance to be gotten out of the way, rather than as a food. 

Pectose is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, and is found in many 
fruits, like currants, plums and peaches, and in some vegetables, like turnips, 
beets, etc. It turns to a vegetable jelly known as pectine when boiled in water, 
and this it is which makes the preserves firm which are made from plums, pears, 
currants, peaches, etc. 

Ghivi, which in its composition is nearly allied to cane sugar, is found dis- 
solved in the juices of many fruits and stems, like apple, plum, etc., and is 
usually accompanied with a little lime and potash. Gum arable and Senegal are 
2 examples. Mucilage appears in the onion, quince-seeds, linseed, etc., but does 
not dissolve to a thin liquid like gum arabic, although it probably undergoes so- 
lution and absorption in the body. It is classed with the carbohydrates. 

Fats. — The fats usually employed as food are the vegetable oils, like olive oil 
— and latterly in this country cotton-seed oil — and the animal fats, .as butter, 
suet, lard, etc., etc. Fat is composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It is an 
essential article of food, and many people suffer in health for the want of it, 
especially among the poor who cannot afford the dearer fats, or do not understand 
the cheaper, and among the sickly, who cannot — or fancy they cannot — digest 
fat in any form. -If it is only digested, one fat is as good for food as another. 
Cod liver oil and cream are the easiest to digest. Fats that are greatly heated 
decompose, and then are always difficult of digestion, which is the reason why 

2 



18 INTRODUCTION. 

fried food often disagrees. Many persons who cannot eat a lump of fat with 
meat, hot or cold, can eat buttered toast, or suet pudding, or take fat in some of 
the many forms in which the cook can serve it. Fat and starch can replace one 
another to some extent, but there must be some fat, and it is better in this cli- 
mate to have some starchy or floury food. In the coldest countries plants do not 
grow, and so starch is there unknown, fat taking its place. 

The nutritive value of fats and oils is the same, and they may be considered 
as formed by the union of a fatty acid and glycerine; thus, if 3 parts of some 
fatty acid, like palmitic, be heated with 1 part of glycerine in a closed tube, palm 
oil and water are produced. Wax, though probably of similar value as a nutri- 
ent, differs from oils and fats somewhat, notably in not yielding glycerine. The 
proper digestion of fat is a matter of great importance, for it is essential to 
healthy tissue formation, as well as being a fuel-food, and it is essential to tissue 
repair as well as tissue growth. Many maladies may be averted if the system 
can be made to digest fat properly. Fat and sugar do not furnish bile acids, and 
hence the bilious are comparatively well with them, but they may lead indi- 
rectly to biliousness. If more food is eaten than the body needs, the hydrocar- 
bons, which are readily oxydized, will be burnt (oxydized) first, and the surplus, 
or nitrogenous elements, will be imperfectly oxydized, which is the reason that a 
rich meal causes biliousness in persons subject to such attacks. 

Fat swallowed in lumps is almost indigestible, and hence it should be taken 
into the system in a finely divided state. Children who will not eat fat meat will 
often take the same amount of fat, as butter, spread on bread. More force is 
produced by the burning or oxydation of fat in the body, than by any other food 
material, as it possesses 2% times the power of starch for maintaining heat and 
activity. The average working man requires 2 oz. of fat daily. 

Carbonates and Salts. — These include common salt (chloride of sodium), 
potash, phosphates of lime and iron. Common salt is a necessary food, and the 
only mineral habitually added to food as such. Potash is found in all fresh 
fruits and vegetables; probably no defect is more common than the want of 
these, especially in our large towns. Lime is necessary for the building up of the 
bones and teeth. It is found in whole grains, and the young get it in their 
milk; when we see weak and distorted limbs and broken teeth, we know that it 
has been missing. Iron occurs in nearly all articles used for food, though in 
minute quantities. Distinct traces are found in the ashes of all plants used for 
food. These salts are essential to health and without them many diseases would 
fasten on the body, like the scurvy which was such a terror to sailors, and which 
vegetables cure like magic. The bones of an adult man contain at least 70 % of 
mineral matter, mostly phosphate of lime, while the muscles, blood and tissue 
contain salts of potash and soda, and some iron. 

Salt. — Common salt is the most widely distributed substance in the body; it 
exists in every fluid and in every solid; and not only is it everywhere present, 
but in almost every part it constitutes the largest portion of the ash when any 
tissue is burnt. In particular it is a constant constituent of the blood, and it 
maintains in it a proportion which is almost wholly independent of the amount 
which is consumed with the food. The blood will take up so much and no more, 
however much we may take with our food; and on the other hand, if none be 
given, the blood parts with its natural quantity slowly and unwillingly. From 
salt also comes the hydrochloric acid for the bile, and the soda for the bile salt in 
the liver. It is of immense importance in the processes ministering to the 
nutrition of the body, for not only is it the chief salt in the gastric juice, and 
essential for the formation of bile, but it is an important agent in promoting the 
process of diffusion, and therefore of absorption. Direct experiment has shown 
that it promotes the decomposition of albumen in the body. Nothing can 
demonstrate its value better than the fact that if albumen without salt is intro- 
duced into the intestine of an animal, no portion of it is absorbed, while it all 
quickly disappears if salt be added. The conclusion, therefore, is obvious, that 
salt, being wholesome, and indeed necessary, should be taken in moderate quan- 
tities, and that abstention from it is likely to be injurious. 

Acids are found in fruits and most vegetable products. ■ They appear partly 
in the free state and partly in the form of salts. Citric, Malic, Tartaric and 
Oxalic are the 4 principal acids found in vegetable products. Acetic acid is mainly 



INTRODUCTION. 19 

produced by the fermentation of alcohol or sugar, but also occurs in some fruits, 
especially when they are over-ripe or decaying. In the process of digestion the 
acids all act much alike, exerting a solvent action on some foods, but their 
nutritive power is small. Too little is consumed to give out much heat or force, 
and besides they are already highly oxydized, and easily turn into the final prod- 
ucts of oxydation — carbonic acid and water. Citric acid is the most wholesome, 
tartaric and malic less so, and oxalic the least so of any acid. 

Water undergoes no chemical change in the system and produces no force; 
yet it is indispensable as a component part of food, for it facilitates the chemical 
changes which take place. 

Potential Energy of Food. — As we elsewhere explain, one office of food is to 
furnish the body with heat and muscular power. Although the carbohydrates 
and fats serve principally to furnish these, the albumenoids can also be used by 
the body for this purpose; for while the carbohydrates and fats cannot take 
the place of the albumenoids, the latter can, to a certain extent, supply 
the place of the former. Scientists by experimenting with an apparatus called a 
calorimeter determine the amount of heat (or muscular energy) which any given 
food can furnish to the body, and this they call its "potential energy." To ex- 
press the amount of these heat (or force) producing elements, they adopt a stand- 
ard which they call a "Calorie." A Calorie is an amount of heat which will 
raise lib. of water 4° F., or stated in terms of mechanical energy, it will lift 1.53 
tons 1 foot. Now to tell the average woman that lib. of potatoes, for example, 
contains 375 Calories, means to her almost nothing at all, but to tell her that lib. 
of potatoes contains 375 Calories, while lib. of wheat flour contains 1645 Calories, 
ought to mean a great deal, for it means that lib. of flour contains nearly 5 times 
as much force producing power (i. e., potential energy) as there is in lib. of 
potatoes. So also lib. of neck of beef, worth perhaps 8 cents, contains 1100 
Calories (20 cents' worth would contain 2750 Calories), while lib. of sirloin, worth, 
say, 20 cents, only contains 1210 Calories, so that clearly the neck is very much 
the most economical piece to buy, as it will supply the body with more than 
twice as much power for the same money. By studying the tables given else- 
where, in this comparative way, not only regarding the potential energy, but the 
relative amounts of albumenoids and other elements as well, much information 
ought to be obtained of practical value to housekeepers. 



THE AMOUNT AND CHARACTER OF FOOD NEEDED. 

The amount and character of the food required varies with different individ- 
uals, depending on age, sex, climate, season of the year, physical and mental ex- 
ertion, etc. Under a meat diet there is a more copious secretion of gastric juice, 
while under a vegetable diet the saliva is more abundant, showing that there is 
a provision in the system for variation in the food. A certain amount of meat 
undoubtedly increases the bodily vigor, although it is not absolutely necessary 
for health. Of the entire weight of the body, in the plant-eating animals the 
digestive organs form 15 to 20$; in the flesh eating animals they form 5 to Q%; in 
man they form 7 to 8$. It will be seen that man approaches much nearer to the 
flesh-eating than to the plant-eating animals, and yet, by the aid of proper cook- 
ing (which is a great help) man can digest many of the vegetables much more 
quickly and completely than can be done by a plant-eating animal like the cow. 
But to get the amount of albumenoids essential to health on, say, an exclusive 
potato diet, a man would heed at least 10 lbs. a day, and Dr. Edward Smith 
found some poor Irish laborers who actually eat that much. Such a diet, how- 
ever, would distend the digestive organs unnaturally, and make one dull and 
stupid. A mixed diet is undoubtedly best. 

In early life all vital processes are most rapid, and provision must also be 
made for the growth of all parts of the body, while in old age the vital processes 
become least active; they are more active in the spring, in cold climates, and in 
highlands, and less so at the end of summer, in hot climdttes, and in valleys, and 
exercise always stimulates these processes. Man requires more nitrogenous food 
than woman. 

Looking at the different nations of the world, we find they have almost in- 



20 



INTRODUCTION. 



stinctively chosen the foods most suited to their needs. The Esquimaux, eating 
his raw blubber and other fatty and oily foods, obtains his carbonaceous food in 
its most concentrated form, furnishing the body with the fuel needed to give 
warmth to withstand the intense cold. In Sweden, Norway and other northern 
countries, they tend towards the Esquimaux's oily diet. In India and China, on 
the other hand, where rice is universally eaten, there is very little need for the 
concentrated heat producers, the starch and sugar of rice, with a little olive 
oil or melted butter, answering their needs well. In Italy the general use of 
macaroni furnishes them with the nutritive elements of wheat in its most con- 
densed form. And so, in the light of the principles we have explained, we might 
examine the characteristic diets of other nations, but it must not be inferred that 
the staple articles of food in the different countries are in all instances perfectly 
adapted to their needs, as some at least of the national dietaries might with a 
little knowledge be much improved. 

But while the leading races have in a general way hit on the foods which are 
in the main suited to their conditions, our complicated modern life demands 
many varieties of diet. The literary man requires one thing, the mechanic 
another; the growing child needs food suited to its wants, and the aged grand- 
parent a different diet, and we should know how to meet these varying wants. 
Our advancing knowledge of the human organism and the requirements of the 
system demand that our dietaries shall be more thoughtfully prepared, and 
adapted to our needs. If there is an excess of one element, and a lack of another, 
that excess or lack means disorder in the system, and in time disease, for which 
our ignorance is wholly responsible. Moreover, an intelligent selection of foods 
will often avert the effects of inherited or other disorders, and a child burdened 
with scrofulous or other diseases, may, by a scientific selection of the proper 
foods, be often saved from a life of invalidism or an early death. 

It is impossible, however, to lay down exact rules for the selection of food in 
health and disease. Only general principles can be given, known scientific facts 
can be explained, well-tried common experience recorded, and from these mate- 
rials the diet most suited to special cases must be selected with intelligence and 
judgment. While in robust health the appetite, guided by the experience of the 
individual, is a generally safe guide, in debility, dyspepsia, gout and all diseased 
conditions, the proper selection of the food is of very great importance. All phy- 
sicians know that if proper dietetic rules were universally observed, robust 
health would be more common, recovery from disease more rapid, and the death 
rate much diminished. They also know that the digestibility of food, and its 
proper assimilation, depend as much upon the mode of its preparation as upon 
the condition of the person who eats it, hence the importance of understanding 
the principles of cookery. One physician told the writer that the trouble with 
nearly % of all the patients who came to him for advice could be traced to indi- 
gestion, caused by improper or improperly cooked food. 

While the limits of this work will not allow us to treat as fully as we would 
like the large and important subjects of food and dietetics, we can indicate the 
direction in which the best thought of the day is tending, and we hope some of 
our readers may be stimulated to further investigation of these subjects, for it 
will not be a waste of either time or labor. It will well repay earnest study in 
leisure hours, and it can safely be said that there is no subject which deserves 
more careful study by women than that of the selection and preparation of food. 

Now the intelligent woman who attempts to provide food for her family must 

DAILY RATIONS REQUIRED FOR DIFFERENT AGES AND SEXES. 



Children, 1 to 2 years 

Children, 2 to 6 years 

Children, 6 to 15 years 

Woman at moderate work 

Man at moderate work 

An aged man 

An aged woman 



Carbohydrates. 


Albumenoids. 


Ounces. 


Ounces. 


2.4 


0.9 


6.3 


1.8 


10.2 


2.4 


12.5 


3.0 


16.0 


4.2 


11.1 


3.3 


8.3 


2.6 



Ounces. 
1.2 
1.3 
1.4 
1.8 
2.0 
2.2 
1.6 



Potential Energy. 



Calories. 
765 
1420 
2040 
2425 
3160 
2475 
1860 



INTRODUCTION. 



21 



aim to supply all the different food elements in proper proportion, and to do it 
so that those she loves and for whom she provides may have the proper physical 
nourishment to sustain them in the great struggle of life. (See page 20 for the 
generally accepted average daily rations for persons of different ages and sexes.) 

The best authorities think that % °' the albumenoids should come from the 
animal kingdom. Of course the health, temperament, climate, and amount of 
work being done must be taken into consideration, but these are fair averages. 
It will be seen that this dietai*y calls for about twice as much of the albumenoids 
as of the fats, and a little over 4 times as much of the carbohydrates as of the 
albumenoids. The table given below will serve to show the proportions of these 
elements found in the different foods. 



CONSTITUENTS IN ONE POUND OP VARIOUS POODS. 



NAME OF FOOD. 


Water. 


Albumenoids. 
(Flesh Form- 
ers.) 


Starch, Sugar, 

Etc. 
(Heat Givers.) 


Fats. 
(Heat Giving.) 


Mineral 

Matters. 




oz. 

11 
3 
3 
3 
8 
1 

14 
5 
3 

11 

13 
8 

10 

13 
7 

2 
6 

12 
2 

13 

10 
3 


grs. 

361 
105 
250 
147 

262 
105 
214 
140 
207 
196 

44 
434 
333 

16 
350 
126 

69 



147 

143 



34 


oz. grs. 

336 
3 397 

1 133 
434 

3 184 
70 

105 

4 294 

1 193 

2 105 

3 336 
1 333 

3 70 

4 1 
3 
3 353 
3 355 
1 263 

161 

1 87 

2 43 
2 281 
1 897 


oz. grs. 
80 

8 434 


12 135 


31 • 

1 108 
140 

11 51 




6 1 


10 391 

9 108 

3 185 

12 133 



11 


oz. grs. 
43 
161 

10 191 
91 
4 340 

14 14 
35 

4 333 

350 

1 333 

331 

5 263 

2 170 

3 7 

6 176 

1 270 
175 
8 
21 
35 
301 

2 281 
57 


oz. grs. 
56 




203 




301 




77 


Beef 


350 




70 




84 




341 


Corn Meal 


140 




231 




112 




244 




331 


Milk 


8 




245 




147 




210 


Pork 


105 




70 


Rice. 


35 




387 


Veal 


312 




49 



The following tables, which are intended to be suggestive mainly, will indi- 
cate the method of combining the different foods for a dietary for an average 
working man, to supply the needed amounts of the different food elements. 
These tables give the approximate cost of the foods alone, without including the 
expense of cooking, etc. 



DAILY RATIONS WITHOUT MEAT [CHEAP]. 

No. 1. No. 2. 





h 
S3 


A <° 

£1 g 


Is 


o 
O 






u 

go 

3 


ah 


to 


o 
O 


2 lbs. Potatoes. .. 
2 oz. Lard 


oz. 

1.05 

.30 

.55 



.67 



1.50 




oz. 
8.75 
1.25 
- .56 
1.90 
6.71 


1.74 




oz. 

0.09 

.13 

.74 





2.00 

.13 




cts. 
3 

l /s 
3 

2 

1M 

4 

3 


V/i lbs. Bread.... 

4 oz. Oatmeal 

l l A lbs.' Potatoes. 


oz. 

1.68 

.60 

.50 



.55 



.89 




oz. 

13.25 

2.55 

5.00 

1.90 

.56 



2.00 




oz. 

.12 

.35 





.74 

2.00 

.60 

10 


cts. 
4 
1 
1'/* 

3 

1H 


3 Oups Coffee 




1 
1 




4.07 


20.91 


3.09 


16& 




4.22 


25.26 


3.21 


13K 



22 



INTRODUCTION. 



No. 1. 



DAILY RATIONS WITH MEAT. 



No. 2. 





a 

< 


si 

si 


o3 



O 






a 

S-v 
|° 
< 


el 








IV2 lbs. Bread 

154 lbs. Potatoes. 
>4lb. Beef (fat) .. 

1 Pint Milk 

2 oz. Sugar 

3 Cups Coffee. ... 


oz. 

1.68 

.50 

1.40 

.55 






oz. 

13 25 

5.00 



.56 

1 90 



20.71 


oz. 

.12 



1 55 

.74 




cts. 
4 l / 2 
W2 
8 
3 

0% 
2 


lib. Bread 

2 oz. Oatmeal ... 
2 lbs. Potatoes ... 
\i lb Beef (lean). 
2oz. Codfish 

1 Pint Milk 


oz. 

1.05 

.30 

.67 

70 

1.70 



.55 



26 




OZ 

8.75 

1.25 

6.71 







56 

1 90 

.23 




oz. 
0.09 

.13 


.10 

.03 
1.70 

.74 





cts. 
3 

0!4 

w t 

5 

1* 
4 
3 




4.13 


2.41 


19 3 4 


3 A 

4 

1 




3 Cups Tea 














5.23 


19.40 


2.79 


24 



COOKING AND ITS OBJECT. 

The principal object of cookery and the artificial preparation of food must be 
to assist in the wonderful series of changes known as digestion and as- 
similation. The art of cookery flourished for ages before the modern sciences 
were known, and until recently there was no such thing as a science of cookery; 
but the mere fact that cookery long existed without the aid of science is no 
reason why it should continue to do so. In the latter part of the 18th century 
Count Rumf ord made his memorable experiments on feeding the poor in Munich, 
and although, owing to the ignorance of chemistry and physiology which then 
prevailed, many of his deductions were wrong, the interest in the study of 
the food problem was awakened. The first experimental agricultural 
college in the world was established at Mockern, Saxony, in 1851, but since then 
many others have been established, and these and the great universities have in 
their laboratories made analyses of most of the foods used by men and animals, 
and they are now doing some most excellent work. Since 1863, when Dr. Ed- 
ward Smith made his report on the amount of food needed to support a family 
(a report called out by the necessities of the cotton spinners in Cheshire and 
Lancashire, England, growing out of the American Civil War), other scientists 
have investigated and traced all the food taken into the bodies of certain individ- 
uals while they were at rest and while they were at work. Estimates have thus 
been made of the amount of food needed to sustain both men and women in va- 
rious conditions in life, and much light has been shed on the subject of furnishing 
the proper amount of nourishment to sustain the human system in health and 
vigor. And how about the science of cookery? This science can make no ad- 
vance without the help of chemistry and physiology, but these are comparatively 
new sciences, and every year they make substantial advances. Only a few 
scientific principles have yet been applied in cookery, but there has been a great 
advance in the last 20 years and the way is now open for still greater progress in 
the future. Scientists have been so absorbed by their work in other directions 
that they have given comparatively little attention to the subject of cookery, 
although a beginning has been made, and much work done. The day cannot be 
far distant, however, when all the resources of our rapidly advancing sciences 
will be brought to bear on this subject, and we think it probable that through 
the application of chemistry to the processes of cookery, changes will be wrought 
in the not distant future which will fully equal, in their practical benefits to the 
human race, any of the advances which have so dazzled and astonished those 
who have been privileged to live in the last few decades. And these are not the 
wild dreams of visionaries, but the cautiously formed opinion of those who know 
much of the work which has been done in our laboratories, and of the principles 
which underlie the various processes. Mr. Mattieu Williams, speaking of this 
subject, asks the question, "whether a very great refinement of scientific cookery 
may or may not enable us to convert nutshells, wood shavings and sawdust into 
wholesome and digestible food?" and he answers: "I have no doubt whatever that it 



INTRODUCTION. 23 

can." Other scientists see nothing unreasonable in such an opinion. In the chem- 
ists' laboratory already an old handkerchief and a piece of an old shirt have been 
turned into sugar. Of course this cannot be done in the average kitchen, but it 
shows the possibilities before us. 

When we consider that a healthy man of usual size takes into his stomach 
every year, on an average, about 300 lbs. of meat, 500 lbs. of bread, 300 lbs. of pota- 
toes and vegetables, 90 lbs. of butter and fats, and 150 gallons of tea, coffee and 
water, or other fluids, we can easily see the great importance which is to be at- 
tached to the proper cooking and preparation of this material. And none are 
more interested in this subject than the poor. Those who have been much 
among the working classes know that they suffer from various disorders arising 
from badly-cooked and therefore ill-digested food, for the cure of which, suitable 
food skilfully prepared will do more than medicine. Furthermore, their necessi- 
ties compel them to make much out of little, and to perform every cooking op- 
eration with the fewest appliances, and with no time to spare ; but perfection in 
the art of cookery is only attained by experience, a careful study of the qualities 
of foods, and some knowledge of the underlying principles involved. 

We certainly think that it is very important for those who from necessity or 
choice are called upon to prepare the food on which the life and health of the 
human body must depend, to endeavor to understand at least the fundamental 
principles which underlie their work — not only for their own sake, but for those 
for whom they provide, or may be called upon to advise. In this, as in other 
things, " knowledge is power." While many among the poorer classes of people 
suffer because of the limited variety and inferior quality of their food, large 
classes of more prosperous people suffer quite as much from the imperfect man- 
ner in which their food is prepared for the table. . 

Now, if we ask what are the principal reasons for preparing and cooking food, 
the following would be given : (1). Cooking makes the food more attractive to 
the senses. Not only the appetite, but the eye and smell are gratified by the 
processes of baking, roasting and stewing, and thus the food becomes more 
longed for, and consequently more gratifying than it could possibly be in a raw 
state. (2). The process of cooking is attended or preceded by processes of clean- 
ing, by which much in food that is repulsive and useless is cast aside. (3). The 
process of cooking facilitates and hastens the process of digestion. Boiling, 
stewing and roasting make flesh, fish or vegetables softer or more juicy, so that 
they are more easily acted on by the digestive fluids and more easily assimilated 
by the system. (4). Cookery destroys the parasites with which some foods are 
infested. (5). Because of the economy of warm food. All cold food introduced 
into the stomach must be warmed there before it can be digested and assimilated, 
and if it is warmed before being eaten, it is a distinct saving to the system. 

The most important results of cookery at present are to be ascribed to the 
action of heat upon the various constituents of our food. Many of the foods 
now eaten would become useless to us if they had to be eaten raw. Cooking may 
not alter the chemical constitution of a food, and yet it may entirely change its 
practical value to mankind. Many of the changes wrought by heat are easily ex- 
plained. Whether albumen is barely coagulated or is hard and horny, whether 
fiber is shrivelled or swelled, whether gelatine is dry and brittle or dissolved, it 
does not take a scientific head to discover, but science tells us why these things 
are, and so enables us to bring our food readily into whatever state we will. 
Given good food, and one cook so manipulates it that the eaters are well nour- 
ished and pleased; another cook leaves them hungry and discontented. Unhappily, 
as things go, many a badly cooked dish has cost an industrious husband a month's 
earnings in doctor's bills, and many a human life has been sacrificed to the in- 
genious preparations of our kitchens. If every intelligent cook would try and 
find out the reasons for the various operations of the kitchen, instead of working 
by rote in a blind sort of way, the gain to the community would be almost ines- 
timable. 

TIMES AND MANNER OF EATING. 

Among the principal laws of diet which have been established by experience, 
and which are more or less explained and confirmed by chemical and economical 
science, are these : (1). The appetite, with all its liabilities to error, is, within 



24 INTRODUCTION. 

certain limits, and under the guide of individual experience, a valuable guide in 
determining the quality and quantity of our food. (2). The food of all classes 
should be generous, both in quantity and quality; and there should be an agree- 
able variety, not only from week to week and day to day, but at each principal 
meal. (3). The quantity, the quality and the variety of food must be modified 
by race, climate, season, age, sex, occupation, habit, and the progress of civiliza- 
tion. (4). The principal meals should be taken with tolerable regularity, and in 
calmness and leisure, and amid agreeable social surroundings. 

The custom of having regular hours for meals is peculiar to civilization, and 
is only possible where food is tolerably abundant and accessible; it is most neces- 
sary among those who are most sensitive, delicate and nervous. The times for 
eating for the great majority of people should be morning, noon and night. 
Those who work hard cannot labor to advantage if the meals are more than 6 
hours apart, as they begin to lose strength. 

However the diet may be regulated, a few simple rules should always be borne 
in mind: (1). That while a low or spare diet is seldom either necessary or harm- 
less, the stomach should never be filled to an extent sufficient to cause any sen- 
sation of uneasiness. (2). That eating should always be sufficiently slow to 
admit of thorough mastication of the food. (3). That solid food should not be 
taken with much fluid, it being better to drink freely between meals. (4). That 
neither mind nor body should be actively exercised very soon after a full meal. 
If these simple rules could be adopted, and at the same time a sufficient amount 
of exercise could be taken, pure air breathed, and proper habits of life adopted, 
the health and happiness of most people would be much improved. 

THE HOUSEWIFE'S AIM. 

In conclusion we may say, that the work which devolves on the housewife in 
providing the food for a family, may be divided into 4 heads: (1). In obtaining 
the necessary food elements, she should endeavor to obtain them in their cheapest 
form — this would come under the head of marketing. (2). Having purchased 
the food, she should so cook it as to best utilize its nutritive elements — this re- 
quires intelligent cooking so that the digestibility of the food may be increased 
instead of lessened, as is too often the case. (3). To so season and flavor the 
food as to make it palatable and inviting. To make food so attractive that it will 
be eaten with zest is an item too often overlooked by the indifferent cook.* (4). 
To utilize every scrap so that nothing is wasted. — To render such assistance as 
we can to our readers, in these various branches of their work, will be our aim 
in the following pages. 

*The old saying that an attractive article of food causes the '"mouth to water" has a 
basis in fact, because the sight of it will cause the salivary glands to freely discharge their 
juices, which is the "watering of the mouth" referred to, while a repulsive article of food 
does not do so; an attractive dish of food, therefore, clearly stands the best chance of being 
well digested. 



MARKETING. 

The thrifty housewife will find it advantageous to do the marketing for the 
household herself, instead of simply ordering through others. By so doing she 
will secure 2 advantages — she can (1) select the best provisions, and (2) get them 
at the lowest prices. Many housekeepers dread going to market, and think it is 
not a proper place for ladies; this is a mistake, for as many gentlemen will be 
found among marketmen as in any other business, and as practical knowledge of 
this kind possessed by the housewife directly affects the comfort of the family, 
and the cost of supporting it, information of this character should be obtained 
as far as possible by every housekeeper. As a variety of food is essential to both 
the health and comfort of every individual, the endeavor should be made, when 
purchasing, to provide a succession of different kinds of food, both animal and 
vegetable. It is often imagined that variety involves expense, whereas the very 
opposite is true, as the wider the range of a housekeeper's ideas in marketing, the 
greater the opportunity of purchasing to advantage. As there is sometimes a 
run on the market for special articles, which advances their prices, while other 
articles may be proportionately cheap, it is often best not to decide beforehand 
just what will be bought. A good deal of care is required in marketing, espec- 
ially for a large family with a limited income, and we hope the hints we offer on 
these subjects will prove serviceable to our readers. One thing, which many 
people need to be particularly reminded of, is that to pay cash down is the only 
way to insure the best value, either in the goods purchased or in comfort gained. 
Poor people especially suffer from ignorance about the nutritive value of dif- 
ferent foods. They seem to think that there is some peculiar virtue in the 
choicest cuts of meat, the best flour, the most delicate vegetables and the highest 
priced butter, but it is an erroneous idea. Experienced marketmen say that the 
rich will buy the coarser cuts of meat, but the poor refuse them, and that the 
money of the poor is the most wastef ully expended. The amount of money 
wasted in injudicious marketing by people of small means is surprising. They 
quite generally depend on buying high priced foods, rather than on intelligent 
cooking and serving to make their tables attractive. It is certain that the poor 
display the worst economy in purchasing as well as in the cooking of their food. 
Now people should know (poor people especially) that the lower priced and 
tougher parts of meat contain fully as much nutriment as the high priced cuts. 
In buying large classes of food (not all) it is emphatically not true that the high- 
est priced is the cheapest. The rich will always buy the choicest articles, but it 
is delicate flavor, not nutriment, which they pay for. In buying codfish, beans 
or flour, 10 cents will get as much nutriment for our bodies as 50 or 75 cents will 
obtain in tenderloin, salmon or lobster. A little study and skill in preparing 
them is all that is needed to utilize the lower priced foods and make them at- 
tractive. Tough meat can be made tender in various ways which we explain 
elsewhere. Buy meat ahead in winter, and keep it until it grows tender. Half 
a calf's head will make a splendid soup. Buy the fat middle rib frequently, and 
then stew it long and well. Make soups of trimmings and tough pieces, and the 
next day chop up the tasteless meat and make it palatable with flavors and 
sauces. Make stews and ragouts of fairly good pieces, and broil or bake the parts 
which are tender and juicy. When fish is cheap, buy it. Catfish, for example, 
are excellent when fried. 

Considering their nutritive value, eggs, even when cheapest, are not as cheap 
as the lowest priced cuts of meat from fat animals, but they are valuable in 
furnishing variety, and they can be used in making various egg dishes. Eggs at 
15 cts. a doz. are about equivalent to meat at 12^ cts. a lb.; at 30 cts. a doz. they 
correspond to meat at 25 cts. a lb. It will be seen that more nourishment can be 
obtained with a given amount of money by buying the cheaper parts of meat, 
like brisket, neck and flank. Cheese ought to be more highly valued than it is, 
and can be bought profitably once a week. (See what we say about it elsewhere.) 

(25) 



26 MARKETING. 

It is surprising how much can be saved to a family by a little intelligence in 
buying, and some knowledge of scientific cookery. A diet which is both nour- 
ishing and palatable can be supplied at a comparatively small cost in that way. 

Great care should also be taken that food is not only well bought, but that 
nothing is thrown away, or suffered to be wasted in the kitchen. The shank 
bones of mutton, so little esteemed in general, give richness to soups or gravies, 
if well soaked and crushed before they are added to the boiling, being particularly 
nourishing for sick persons. Roast beef bones, or shank bones of ham, make ex- 
cellent stock for pea soup. The dripping from a half spoiled joint is useless for 
food, and the bone will certainly spoil soup. Save all scraps of meat and bones 
left from roasts and broils, and utilize them in the soup pot. Also save the 
. trimmings from corned beef, tongue, ham, etc., as they will make many relishes. 
Have the trimmings sent home with the meat when buying it, as they may be 
used in soups and sauces. 

BUYING MEATS. 

In addition to the special directions given below, it may be useful to observe 
that moderately fat meat is the best in every respect. If it is very lean, the ani- 
mal has been underfed, and the meat will probably be tough and tasteless; if 
there is an excess of fat, it renders the joint costly when purchased at current 
rates. Very lean meat is dear at any price. A golden rule to act on is that the 
inferior joints of the best meat are better than the best joints of inferior meat. 
Lean meat is nitrogenous, or flesh-forming, and is preferable for use in hot 
weather, or for people living in a warm climate; but in cojd countries where 
heating food is required, fat meats are more necessary. 

Although the flesh of young is tenderer than that of adult animals, it is more 
difficult to digest. Dr. Smith has shown that this is mainly because the flesh of 
young animals cannot be perfectly masticated; hence veal and lamb are more 
difficult to digest than beef or mutton, and are worse for dyspeptics. The tis- 
sues are more gelatinous, and less nourishing and stimulating in young than in 
adult animals; but if very old, the flesh may be so tough as to nearly defy both 
mastication and digestion. 

Good raw meat is neither very pale nor very dark; it is a rich red, and has a 
marbled look, given by the small veins of fat running through it. To the touch, 
it is firm and elastic, and should scarcely wet the finger. When taken from a 
dish upon which it has been standing, little or no moisture should remain behind. 
Bad or inferior meat is either lacking in color, or is of a dark purplish tint. It is 
wet or sodden to the touch, and, if left standing, will leave a pool of blood and water 
behind. Without having an actually tainted smell, it has often a very sickly one; 
the inside fat surrounding the kidneys and liver is often suffused with blood. 
Meat which is over fresh, or too recently killed, will manifest itself by the smell 
quite as readily as tainted meat — it will suggest excessive bloodiness. 

Do not buy butcher's meat, or poultry, that shows any signs of cruel treatment before 
being slain; meat with bruises, discolored spots and extra vasated clots of blood should be 
avoided, as the flesh of suffering animals undergoes a change which is unwholesome. 

Putrid Meat. — The albuminous substances m meat when they putrefy generate certain 
organic poisons, which, taken into the system, produce symptoms much like severe cholera 
morbus, and often result fatally. These cases are most often caused by canned meats and 
sausage, but may be caused by any putrid meat. 

Beef. — This should have an open grain, smooth and juicy; it should yield 
easily to pressure and have a rich carnation color. The fat should be of a 
whitish or cream color — the whiter and firmer the better. Tht bone should be 
small, and the flesh full. If the meat is purplish, and the fat yellow, it is poor 
beef. When fed on oil cakes, the fat will be of a deeper color, and the flesh flabby. 
Stall-fed beef has a lighter color than grass-fed, and beef long kept turns a 
darker color than fresh killed. Ox beef is best, and that of a heifer next. Beef 
of a dark-brownish or purplish-red should be avoided; this color is sometimes the 
result of some feverish disease, or the animal has been slaughtered before resting, 
after being heated and exhausted by driving — in either case, the meat is un- 
wholesome. A strict observance of the above simple rules will insure even an in- 
experienced buyer against imposition. 

The flavor of beef is richer, and it takes less of it to satisfy hunger than of 
the flesh of any other domestic animal, and it is on the whole the best for a 
standby. 



MARKETING. 2? 

In order to obtain a good juicy piece of roasting beef, the meat must be of the best 
quality, and come from a well fatted animal; it must also have been kept a sufficient time 
after being slaughtered to enable it to ripen a little before cooking, but not to the point of 
the slightest taint. Meat, if cooked immediately after slaughtering, is - apt to be hard and 
tough. 

The best roasting pieces are the sirloin and standing- rib pieces. The latter should have 
all the bone cut out, and be rolled up and skewered into a round shape; or the long string 
niece may be cut off and salted for boiling, and hashed for another day. It should be re- 
membered that a good sized joint is more economical in the long run, even in small families, 
than a very small one. 

Good boiling pieces of fresh beef, are the neck piece, the shoulder clods, the "aitchbone, 
and any part of the animal left after the roasts and steaks are reserved. The boiling 
pieces may be kept in a pickle of brine, with sugar in the solution, and a little saltpetre. 

The best parts of beef for steaks are the sirloin, porter-house, and the first cut of the 
round; the second round is also fairly good. Other round steaks can be chopped finely in a 
chopping bowl or minced in a machine now made for that purpose, for Hamburg or Salis- 
bury steaks. Hamburg steaks are highly seasoned, but Salisbury steaks are more suited to 
invalids. Pieces of the shoulder-clod can also be minced and used in this way, as well as 
other nice pieces of beef from parts not suited for roasting or broiling without chopping. 
Chopped steaks are most desirable for old people and invalids, also for delicate children. 
People with good teeth should use them in order to keep them good. 

The fillet of beef is the tenderloin— the choicest part of the animal. This, by foreign 
cooks is "larded," the method of doing which we explain elsewhere. In this country the 
combined flavor of fresh beef and salt pork is not so much in favor. 

Veal. — This must be fresh killed to be good. The lean should be white, 
smooth and juicy, and the joints stiff; the fat should be white, firm and abundant. 
Stale veal is moist and clammy, the joints are flabby, and there is a faint musty 
smell. In buying the head, see that the eyes are plump and bright — not dull and 
sunk in the head. In buying legs, get those which are not skinned, as the skin 
is good for jelly or soup. 

Veal is neither so nutritious nor so easily digested as beef. It is more easily 
digested when roasted or broiled than when boiled. Some people cannot digest 
veal at all, and it causes griping and diarrhoea if they eat it. 

Veal is best when the animal is from 2 to 3 months old. The flesh of the bull-calf is the 
most suitable for joints, being of a firmer grain. That of the cow-calf is best for made 
dishes. The fillet of the cow-calf is generally preferred because it has the udder. The 
finest calves have the smallest kidneys, and when the veal is good, these are well covered 
with fat. Although veal can be obtained all the year round, it is best from May to Septem- 
ber. The animal should not be bled before killing, for, although the meat is then whiter, 
the animal is reduced in vitality and weakened by the bleeding, and is in the condition of a 
diseased animal. When the flesh is of a yellowish color, it is either from an animal that was 
ill, or the meat has been kept too long since slaughtering. 

Veal, like all young meat, has a tendency to turn very quickly. It is both unpalatable 
and most unwholesome when it is at all tainted, and it cannot be recovered, as brown 
meats sometimes are, by the use of charcoal. Therefore, it ought not to be kept more than 
2 days in summer and 4 in winter. If eaten quite fresh, it is apt to be a little tough. To as- 
sist it in keeping, the pipe should be removed from the loin as soon as it comes from the 
butcher. The skirt also should be taken at once from the breast, the inside scraped and 
wiped, and dredged with flour. If there is any danger of the veal becoming tainted, wash 
it and put it into boiling water for 10 minutes; then plunge it into cold water till cool, wipe 
dry, and put it into the coolest place that can be found. 

The roasting portions are the fillet, shoulder and loin; also the best end of the neck. 
The head is a splendid dish, properly managed; the feet make excellent jelly; both the 
breast and knuckle will form capital little affairs on one's dinner table, as the former will 
roast, and the latter, boiled and served with parsley, is accounted a delicacy by many. 
Veal is invaluable in the stock pot, being so rich and delicate. 

Mutton. — This should be of a rich red color, close in the grain and juicy; the 
flesh should pinch tender and rise again when dented with the finger. The fat 
should be white — whiter than beef fat. Look at the vein in the neck of the fore- 
quarter — it should be a fine blue. Mutton is at perfection at between 3 and 6 
years. The bones should be small and legs short. The flesh of wethers is better 
than that of ewes, as the latter are not killed as long as they are profitable for 
raising lambs, and so their flesh is apt to be tough from age. 

Mutton is not so nutritious as beef, but it is more easily digested, and for this 
reason it is better for dyspeptics. Mutton broth is very valuable for persons suf- 
fering from dysentery or diarrhoea. 

All parts of the sheep known as joints are roasted; the neck and leg are, however, fre- 
quently boiled. The "haunch is a favorite joint and so is the saddle, From the loin, chops 
are cut; cutlets are also cut from the thick end, and sometimes from a part of the neck or 
fleshy part of the leg. In proportion to the flesh, there is less fat and bone in the leg than 
in any other part of the animal, so that it is the best to buy. 

Lamb. — In this the flesh should be of a f aintish white in color, smooth and 
firm to the touch. The fat should be white and light in appearance. If lamb 
has a greenish or yellowish cast, it is stale and unfit to eat. If the veins in the 



28 MARKETING. 

neck-part show up blue and prominent in the lean, it is an excellent indication 
that the meat is good. Lamb is not nearly as nutritious as mutton, and is not 
suited for people of weak digestive power. The flavor is delicate, which is its 
chief attraction. The tissue is soft, gelatinous and watery. 

Lamb should be fresh, and not bought long before being used. It is usually roasted, 
although the leg is often boiled when in season. The best and cheapest part for stews is the 
breast. If the flesh of lamb is pale and flabby, it is either from an unhealthy animal, or it 
was deprived of food and water for some time before being killed, and in either case the 
meat is unwholesome. Where economy is a consideration, lamb should not be bought before 
it is 5 months old. 

Pork. — If the rind of pork is tough and thick, then it is old; if thin and 
springy, then it is young. In the best pork the meat is fine and close grained, 
without a superabundance of fat. The lean will almost break if pinched between 
the thumb and finger. The skin can be indented readily with the fingers. The 
fat should be white, smooth and firm. If the meat is clammy, or smells offen- 
sively, it is tainted and should on no account be bought. Small kernels in the fat 
indicate disease. Buy good pork or none at all. 

In a sucking pig the tongue should be clean, the flesh pinkish in hue, and the 
skin clear and fresh. 

Bacon and ham are more easily digested than fat pork, and so form an ex- 
ception to the rule that fresh meat can be digested more easily than dried. The 
large amount of fat in good bacon makes it a good heat producer in cold 
weather. 

The roasting parts of the pig are the leg, loin and spare rib (a favorite piece). Although 
the leg can be, and is often boiled, the remaining portions are usually salted, the leg form- 
ing a ham, and the sides flitches of bacon. 

Ham and Bacon. — In selecting a ham, run a knife into it close to the bone; if 
the blade when withdrawn has an agreeable odor, the ham is good; if it has a 
greasy appearance and an offensive smell, the ham is bad. Bacon maybe tested 
in the same manner; the lean should be red and adhere closely to the bone; the 
fat should be firm and pinky white. When bacon looks yellowish, it is rusty and 
not fit to use. The rind should be thin. Large bacon is almost always coarse, 
and lean bacon is seldom good. 

Sweet-breads. — In selecting these for the table, choose those which are white, 
firm and plump, and which come from the throat of the calf. There is another 
kind which is really the pancreas, and which is only suitable for chopped dishes, 
like croquettes, etc. 

Tongue. — This should be thick and firm, and on the under side there should 
be considerable fat. The tongue most used is that of the beef. That of the 
lamb can be bought both pickled and fresh, and that of the sheep, pig and calf 
can all be bought; calf's tongue is usually considered the best. 

Venison. — In this, the fat should be clear, bright and thick. If the cleft of the 
haunch is smooth and close, it is young; if close and rough, it is old. It can be 
tested by the smell, like ham, by passing a knife along the bone of the haunch or 
shoulder. The flesh will look darkish if it is not new and sweet. 

Sausage. — Even when the outside appears all right, bad sausage when broken 
is apt to show small cavities, and be sticky and soft inside; if these signs appear, 
or if there are yellow or greenish spots, or if it tastes rancid or smells putrid, it 
should not be eaten. 

BUYING POULTRY AND GAME. 

In buying poultry, 3 things are necessary — it should be young, in good 
condition and fresh. In selecting poultry, choose that which is full grown but 
not old. The safest rule in choosing poultry is to feel of the breast bone; when 
young, it will be soft and pliable like gristle; when old, it will be tough. Also 
when young and fresh killed, the skin is thin and tender, the joints not very stiff, 
and the eyes full and bright. The freshness of a bird can be discovered more by 
smell than anything else; a good buyer would prefer a bird untrussed. A bird 
should be roasted rather than boiled if there is any doubt about its freshness. 
No food should be given poultry for about 24 hours before it is killed, that there 
may be no food in the crop to sour. 

In fowls, the light meats are not so highly flavored as the dark, nor are they bo 
rich in nitrogen, but they are more easily digested. 



MARKETING. 29 

Turkeys.— See that the legs are smooth and black, the spurs short, breast full, 
and neck long. The eyes should be bright and full, and the feet flexible. If the 
eyes are sunk and the feet dry, the bird is stale. 

Chickens. — See that the feet are flexible, the skin soft and moist, and the eyes 
bright and full. If the eyes are sunk, and the feet dry, it is stale. 

Fowls. — In a young fowl the spurs are short and the legs smooth. If the legs 
and combs are limber, it is young; if those are rough and stiff, it is old. When 
fresh, the vent is close and dark. In an old fowl the skin looks purplish, and the 
neck and feet are long and thin. 

Geese. — A young goose has a yellowish bill and flexible feet, with few hairs on 
either. If the bill and feet are reddish, with many hairs, the bird is old; if the 
feet are dry, it is stale. 

Ducks. — These, both wild and tame, when young have flexible feet; the belly 
should be thick and firm, and the skin clear. 

Crame. — In selecting this, pluck a few feathers from the under part of the leg; 
if the skin is not discolored, the bird is fresh. M. Soyer says, " The age may be 
known by placing the thumb into the beak, and holding the bird up with the jaw 
part; if that breaks, it is young; if not, it is old, and requires keeping longer before 
cooking." All old fowls may likewise be told by their hard, rough or dry feet. 
Wild game has a peculiar gamey smell, but it can readily be distinguished from 
that of tainted meat. 

There is no bird whose flesh is poisonous in itself, or which may not in case of necessity 
be eaten. Persons have been poisoned by eating quail in the spring, but it was caused by 
the buds of the mountain laurel which the bird had eaten. 

Partridges. — These, if young, will have black bills and yellow legs; if old, white 
bills and blue legs. 

Hares and Babbits. — These when fresh killed are stiff and whitish; when 
stale, the body is limber and the. flesh darker. When young, the ears will tear 
like brown paper. In both, the claws should be smooth and sharp. In a young 
hare, the cleft in the lip is narrow, and the claws are readily cracked if turned 
sideways. 

Squirrels. — These are judged much like rabbits, but the flesh is always more 
or less dark; when young, it will be smooth and firm; if old, it will be limber and 
flimsy. 

Killing Fowls, etc. — Fowls, rabbits, and some other animals, being sometimes 
purchased alive, and the beauty of their appearance when dressed depending in 
some measure on their being killed in a proper manner, it is desirable that a 
cook should know how to kill them expeditiously and neatly. 

Kill a turkey by passing a small penknife into the mouth and cutting it below 
the tongue; then pass the knife up through the head into the brain. After this, 
hang it up by the legs to let it bleed freely. All smaller fowls are killed by 
pulling and dislocating the neck at the head. In killing geese and ducks, com- 
mence by tying a string around the beak, then pinion the wings over the back to 
prevent fluttering; then make an incision or cut across the upper part of the 
neck, close to the head, and suspend by the feet to bleed freely. Kill a rabbit by 
holding it by the hind legs, letting the head hang down, and give it a smart blow 
with the edge of the hand behind the ears. All birds should be kept for a short 
time after being killed with their feathers on, and not drawn till they are to be 
used. Furred animals should not be skinned until they are to be used, but 
should be paunched as soon as they are cold. 

BUYING FISH AND SHELL-FISH. 

In selecting fish, choose those which are firm and thick, with bright, promi- 
nent eyes, the fins , hard and stiff, the scales brilliant, and the gills bright red; 
such fish are fresh. When stale, the eyes sink and look flat and dull, the fins be- 
come soft and flabby, the gills dark, the scales dim, and the fish grows soft. If 
you find the eyes of a fish gouged out, be sure the fish is stale, and the dealer 
dishonest. Dress fish at once, sprinkle on salt, and use them the same day if 
possible; put them over ice in warm weather, or corn them for the next day. 
The offensive odor of stale fish is one of the best tests. All fish should be cooked 
at once after being packed in ice, for they will become soft and lose their flavor 
quickly afterwards. 



30 MARKETING. 

Occasionally fish are brought to market, which are killed by the refuse thrown into the 
water by large manufacturing establishments; such fish will have a foul odor, and the 
flesh will be soft, spongy and yellowish. Never eat fish which are caught in putrid 
water. If, when boiling fish, the water blackens silver, it is caused by hydrogen sulphide 
(the same gas found in bad eggs). It comes from putrefaction, and' the fish should be 
thrown away. A decomposing fish has a pale look, and a bluish belly. 

The amount of nourishment contained in fish varies with the species, but as a rule they 
are less satisfying and less stimulating than butcher's meat, though some of the red-fleshed 
fish nearly approach it. Fish oil is more digestible than any other kind of fat, and therefore 
cod-liver oil is given to invalids. Dr. Pavy says: "The quality of fish as an article of food 
is influenced by the act of spawning, and presents considerable variations at different 
periods. It is just previous to spawning that the animal is in its highest state of perfec- 
tion. . . During the process of spawning, its store of fatty matter is drawn upon and it be- 
comes poor, thin, watery and flabby. It is now said to be 'out of season' and requires time 
to arrive in condition again. In fish like the cod, where the fatty matter accumulates 
specially in the liver, this organ presents a most striking difference in volume and condi- 
tion before and after spawning; whilst in such as the salmon, herring, etc., where the fat is 
dispersed among the flesh, it is the body which affords the chief evidence of change. As 
salmon enters the rivers from the sea for the purpose of depositing its spawn, it is plump, 
and well provided with fat. On its return, the contrast in its condition is very great. It is 
now so exhausted and thin, as to be looked upon as unfit for food." Fish out of season is 
never cheap, even if bought at a low price. 

Cod, when edible, will have very red gills, the body thick at the neck, the flesh 
white and firm, and eyes still bright. Shad, if good, are white and thick, eyes 
bright, gills red, body stiff and firm. In mackerel look for the same points, but 
with more care, as mackerel is so tender that it does not carry or keep so well 
unsalted, as other fish. Striped bass depend on being put on the fire as soon as 
possible after being killed; if the eyes are sunken and the gills pale, they have 
been too long out of the water. Trout should have the gills red and hard to 
open, the eyes lustrous, and the body stiff. To blue fish and many other vari- 
eties apply the same rules as for striped bass. In choosing eels, the fat ones are 
best. They should be alive just before being cooked, as they lose their sweetness 
if long kept. In selecting sturgeon, choose those which are white, with tender 
skin, blue veins and even grain. 

Oysters, crabs and all shellfish can be judged only by the smell as to their 
freshness. Oysters should close firmly on the knife when being opened; when 
they can be opened easily, they are good for nothing. The sooner they are used 
after being opened, the better. 

Lobsters, prawns and shrimps should be very stiff after they are boiled, and 
the tails turn far inward. When they are soft and watery, they are not fit to eat. 
Lobsters should be alive, or else boiled before being offered for sale; they are 
black when alive, and red when boiled. In a lobster, when fresh, the tail, if 
straightened, will spring back into position. The male lobster is best, unless 
required for sauces, etc.; then the hen is best, on account of the spawn or coral. 
Lobsters and crabs, when good, ought to be heavy for their size. 

Turtles or terrapin should be bought alive. 

BUYING VEGETABLES. 

These should be procured as fresh as possible, and the good housekeeper will 
endeavor to keep her table supplied all through the year with a good variety. 
Many varieties, like potatoes, cabbages, etc., can be best bought in the fall and 
stored in the cellar. Others may be canned at home, or bought in cans when 
needed. Those to buy, are potatoes, turnips, cabbages, squashes, onions, beets, 
parsnips, carrots, and artichokes. We elsewhere explain about keeping vegeta- 
bles and also canning them. Vegetables should be ripe when purchased, and 
they are best when in full season and in greatest plenty, so that they are within 
the reach of those of moderate means. Most early, artificially raised vegetables, 
like peas, potatoes, etc., may be esteemed as rarities; but they are less valuable 
as foods. 

Asparagus. — In buying this, see that the heads are full and green; when the 
head is not full, and the color is light, it is not desirable. 

Beans. — Shell beans are dry and smooth when fresh; if they appear sticky 
and dull, they are old. String beans should be green, break crisply, and the 
bean should be justbeginningto form in the pod; if they look yellow or wilted, 
they are not fresh, nor desirable. 

Brussels Sprouts. — Select those which are fresh and crisp, and which are com- 



MARKETING. 31 

pact and firm, like cabbage heads; loose heads are undesirable. Strip off the 
outer leaves and soak in cold, salted water an hour or so before cooking. 

Cauliflower. — In buying this, see that the leaves are green and fresh, and the 
head a whitish cream color. If there are dark spots on the head, and the leaves 
are wilted, it is bad. 

Celery. — See that the stalks break off crisply, and that the heads are solid and 
white. It is apt to be tough and stringy after spring opens, and bitter before the 
coming of frost. It is best during the winter. 

Corn. — Green corn should be milky and tender, and the ears should be well 
filled out; if it is hard, and the kernels yellowish or straw color, it is too old, and 
even long boiling will not make it good. 

Cucumbers. — If these are intended for salad, see that they are firm and green; 
if for pickling, have them small; (they are then called gherkins); if for cooking, 
they may be large and yellowed a little without harm. 

Dandelions. — The cultivated are better than the wild; those are good in the 
spring, but are apt to be tough by the last of May. 

Egg-Plant. Buy that which is not quite ripe and which is firm. The best is 
oval in shape, large and purple. 

Lettuce. — In buying this, see that the leaves are green, fresh and crisp; keep it 
until used in a refrigerator, on ice if possible, or in a cold place at least. 

Mushrooms. — These are best bought from reliable dealers only. In gather- 
ing them, they should be carefully distinguished from poisonous toadstools; con- 
founding the two has caused many deaths. 

Okra. — See that the pods are green and crisp. Although its use was formerly 
confined mainly to the South, it is becoming more popular at the North every 
year. It can be purchased nearly all the year round. 

Peas. — In buying these, see that the pods feel cool and dry and look green. If 
the pods have turned light or are spotted, they are old or not freshly picked, and 
are not good. 

Potatoes having large deep eyes cut to waste. A rough skin is said to indi- 
cate a mealy potato, and a smooth skin a waxy one, but that is not a sure guide, 
and the best way is to boil a sample and watch the result. Small potatoes are 
seldom economical, even at a low price, the waste in peeling being so great. 
Medium sized potatoes are generally the best to buy, choosing in preference 
those with small eyes. Small potatoes, after being well washed, may be boiled 
with the skins on, and peeled when cold for hash. 

Spinach. — In buying this, see that it is green in color and crisp. 

Tomatoes. — For table use, get those which are red and ripe, smooth, medium- 
sized ones being best; for pickling, green ones may be bought. 

Sweet Herbs. The good housewife will find it convenient to keep on hand 
such herbs as thyme, sweet marjoram bay leaves and sage. A few cents will buy 
a bunch of each, and they should be kept dry and tied together, and in a box or 
paper bag. Parsley and mint are used green. The former is easily raised where 
it cannot be readily bought. 

BUYING GROCERIES, ETC. 

Butter. — In buying butter, taste it and smell it. If streaky or spotted, or 
with a reddish, speckly look, it is not good, and when cut with a knife, should it 
appear milky, it is a sign that it will not keep good long, for it has not been 
washed properly and it will waste. If it smells sour, it has not been sufficiently 
washed from the buttermilk; if it is veiny or open, it has probably had an in- 
ferior kind worked in. To choose salt butter, plunge a knife into it; if, when 
drawn out, the blade smells rancid or unpleasant, the butter is bad. 

Milk. — In our article on the adulteration of food, we speak of the tests for 
milk. Where a supply of really pure and fresh milk is not available, the preserved 
milk will be invaluable. It is made by evaporating nearly the whole of the water 
in the milk, from which it is prepared, and adding sugar. 

Cheese. — Select that, which, when rubbed between the fingers, melts and 
seems smooth. Poor cheese is crumbly and dry. Prof. Vaughn of Ann Arbor, 
Mich., says that cheese which will instantly and intensely redden blue litmus 
paper, should never be eaten. The test is easily made; if the cheese is dry, a bit 
of it should be moistened, and the litmus paper then applied. 



32 MARKETING. 

Eggs. — In choosing eggs, apply the tongue to the large end; if it feels warm, 
the egg is fresh. Another simple test for eggs is to thoroughly dissolve 2 oz. of 
salt in 1 pint of water. An egg, dropped into this, if freshly laid, goes to the 
bottom; if 1 day old, it rises a little; if 3 days old, it floats in the liquid; if more 
than 5 days old, it projects above the surface, projecting more and more as by 
increased age the water inside evaporates through the pores of the shell, and air 
enters and takes its place. Before breaking an egg, hold it before a gas or candle 
flame and try and look through it; if clear, it is fresh; if cloudy, it is stale; if any 
dark spots appear, it is bad. No egg should be used for culinary purposes with 
the slightest taint about it. 

Coffee and Tea. — These are best bought in considerable quantities, as a saving 
of several cents a pound may be obtained, if a half chest of tea or a bag of coffee 
is bought at a time. (See what we say about their adulteration in our article on 
theAdulterationof Foods.) 

Barley. — Barley flower does not keep well; it is apt to acquire a hot, unpleas- 
ant taste. Buy little at a time, and keep in a cool, dry place. 

Barley is a native of Western Asia, and has been cultivated from remote antiquity. It 
is hardy and can be cultivated over a very wide range of climate. It has too little gluten 
to make good bread. It is rich in phosphates, and though less nutritious than wheat, it is 
lighter and less stimulating, and in the form of gruel makes a soothing drink for invalids. 
It is rich in starch and contains some mucilage. Pearl barley is barley steamed, and the 
fibrous coats removed and the grains rounded and polished. Patent barley is pearl barley 
ground to flour. 

Buckwheat Meal. — A small quantity of this at a time is enough to buy, as it 
does not keep very well. 

Buckwheat is a native of Persia, and is killed by frost. It is rich in starch and albumen, 
and its ash is rich in potash and lime. The pancakes are not suited to those of weak diges- 
tion. Their continuous use gives rise to an itching of the skin and an eruption, the only 
specific for which, is to stop eating them for a time. The albumenous substances found in 
buckwheat differ materially from those found in the cereals, and its food value is less than 
that of wheat, oats or rye. 

Corn or Indian Meal. — The common kind is best bought in small quantities 
as it does not keep well; the granulated, however, will keep for any length of 
time, and will be preferred to the other if once used. When decomposition be- 
gins in cornmeal, it has a rancid odor, and a little of it placed on moistened blue 
litmus paper (to be had at any drug store) will turn it red, while good meal does 
not affect the color. 

The fineness of grinding cornmeal affects the bread made from it, fine meal making a 
compact, and the coarse a more open and spongy bread. Cornmeal should always be thor- 
oughly cooked before being eaten; it is owing to its improper preparation that its reputation 
for indigestibility is due. It should be perfectly sweet and dry, and if at all "heated" or 
musty, it is entirely unfit for human consumption. Buy it in small quantities, and keep it 
in closed tins or a tightly closing jar, and in a dry place. For further particulars regard- 
ing corn, see "Vegetables." Samp is the whole grains hulled. Hominy is corn hulled and 
coarsely broken. 

Cracked Wheat. — This will keep a long time. The crushed cooks the quickest, 
but the cut looks best when served. 

Flour. — In buying this, the best is the cheapest. It is best to buy at least a 
barrel at a time, as it is not economy to buy in small quantities. There are many 
brands equally good. The amount of water which flour will absorb is a far bet- 
ter test of its quality than its color, because flour containing an abundance of 
gluten will absorb more water than that which contains a larger amount of 
starch; such flour will make more bread, and is therefore better to buy. Gluten is 
a tenacious, colorless or greyish substance, and was known in ancient times as 
birdlime. Starchy flour lacks adhesive properties; it crumbles in the hand, and 
may be blown about easily, while that containing a good amount of gluten, when 
pressed in the hand, remains compact and retains the imprint of the lines of the 
skin, while it has a creamy white tint. Don't buy flour of a bluish white tinge. 
A good test for flour is to put some in the hollow of the hand, make a hole in the 
center, and add enough cold water to form a soft dough; if the flour is of good 
quality and fresh, the dough when pulled out will not break easily, but will be 
tenacious, will harden in the air, and will so remain; if, however, on working the 
dough, it sticks to the fingers, softens, and on being pulled out, is brittle and 
breaks off short, the quality is poor. If there is any strong or unpleasant odor, it 
has begun to spoil and is worthless. Flour rich in gluten takes longer to rise 



MARKETING. 33 

than that containing more starch, but it makes better bread. That containing 
more starch can be used for pastry. 

Wheat flour is preferable to any of the other great vegetable products on which men 
chiefly live, since it is a far more agreeable food than maize (Indian corn) and far more nu- 
tritious than rice. It is probable that the health and bodily vigor of the inhabitants of 
temperate climates are largely attributable to the extensive use of this food. Wheat 
flour contains the following substances: starch, dextrin, cellulose, sugar, albumen, gliadin 
or gluten, mucin, fibrin, cerealin, fat, mineral matters and water. The first 4 substances 
(the carbohydrates) form nearly % of the entire weight of the flour. The gluten and other 
albumenoids form from 10 to 15$, and the oils about 1%. The outer covering of wheat is a 
layer of almost pure silica, which is perfectly indigestible. In the inside layers of the cov- 
ering are found cerealin and gluten, and the starch and some gluten are found in the center. 
The composition and value of the bran is now better understood than formerly. Coarse 
bran containing the outer layer of silica is valueless. This silica is indigestible and 
remains as a foreign body in the bowels, causing irritation and diarrhoea, and so hurries 
the food along the alimentary canal before the nutritive elements can be absorbed, while 
fine flour is nearly all assimilated. The inner layers of the sheath contain gluten, some 
starch, and the cerealin which is an aid to digestion, as it acts like disatase in the conver- 
sion of starchy food into sugar. The finest white flour is derived chiefly from the central 
parts of the kernel, whilst all the succeeding portions vary in color according to the de- 
grees of admixture of the different layers of the skin. Good seconds flour is doubtless the 
most nutritious and cheapest to buy, although it does not produce the whitest bread; but 
to sacrifice nourishment to mere appearance is not wise. For the poor, it is the most eco- 
nomical. 

Pastry flour, as it is sometimes called, is also known as old process or St. Louis flour. It is 
highly sifted and contains more stai'ch and less gluten than the "seconds," but it makes 
excellent pastry and cake. Although bread made from it contains less of the gluten 
(which is the principal albumenoid element of flour) than is obtained from the other flour, 
that defect can be remedied by obtaining more of the albumenoid element in some other 
food; but many families will find it best to have some of both kinds of flour on hand, one 
for bread, and the other for cake and pastry. 

Semolina (also called Semou le or Semola).— This consists of particles of wheatwhich, in- 
stead of being ground fine like flour, is reduced to grains, varying in size from grains of sand 
to small millet. As the gluten is retained it is nutritious. It is used for making puddings, 
thickening soups, etc. It is more used in France than in any other country, and in Paris a 
kind of bread is made of the coarser kinds and called gruau. 

Graham. — A good deal that is sold is made from poor flour mixed with bran; 
the best is made from good wheat without being sifted. Keep it in a dry, cool 
place and it will keep for years. 

The old idea that graham flour is good for those suffering from constipation is no longer 
entertained. The laxative quality is caused purely by the mechanical irritation of the in- 
testines, caused by the smal 1 particles of silica (really like powdered glass) contained in the 
outer covering of the wheat. The irritation thus caused is sometimes dangerous. If a 
cathartic is needed, powdered glass is not the best thing to use. The bowel thus irritated, 
rushes the food along and finally ejects it before all its nutriment is assimilated, so that 
much is wasted. The poorer grades of graham flour are not fit to use. A moderate amount 
of the best grades may be used, but is not suited for a steady diet. 

Oatmeal. — It is best to have this as fresh as possible, so purchase little at a 
time. The coarser keeps better than the finely ground. 

Oats grow better in cool, moist climates than in those which are hot and dry, and there- 
fore can be cultivated in situations where neither barley nor wheat can be raised. The 
meal is less white than wheat flour, and is chiefly eaten in the form of porridge. Owing to 
the absence of gluten, oatmeal cannot, like wheat flour, be made into light, porous bread. 
In many places, notably in Scotland, oatmeal forms an important food for the people, and 
it admittedly produces a healthy and vigorous race of men. The peculiar value of oatmeal 
is owing to the large amount of fat in oats. It is healthy and nutritious, and merits an ex- 
tensive use, especially among working people and children, but some people with weak di- 
gestive powers find it irritating. 

Groats or grits are oats deprived of their outer husks. Embden Groats are 
the same, broken into smaller pieces. 

Ryemeal. — As this does not keep well, it is best to purchase it in small quan- 
tities. For bread and muffins the meal is more desirable than the flour. 

The native country of rye is unknown. Rye flour is little used now for making bread, 
except when mixed with wheat flour. It is inferior to wheat flour in nutritive properties, 
flavor and digestibility. 

Hominy. — -The highest grade is the best, and it will keep a long time. 

Macaroni. — This, when good, has a yellowish tinge, and when cooked, it does 
not break or burst. 

Lard. — See that this is white, free from any unpleasant smell, and solid. 
Leaf lard is best, and is made from the leaf fat taken from the ribs of the hog. 

Arrowroot. — This is found in perfectly white lumps when pure, and they can 
be crushed readily between the fingers. If, when boiled with water and con- 
stantly stirred, a foam appears on top, it has been adulterated with flour; if pure, 
there will be no foam. 



34 MARKETING. 

Almonds. — The best are long and oval-shaped; the more common are round 
and flat. 

The almond is the seed or kernel of the almond tree, which resembles the peach, and is 
indigenous to Persia, Syria and the north of Africa. The 2 most important kinds are the 
sweet and bitter. The bitter are used to flavor confectionery, etc., but they contain much 
prussic acid, and a single drop of the essential oil will kill a bird, and 4 drops a dog; these 
have little domestic use. The sweet are the only ones adapted for ordinary use. Although 
Considered nourishing, they frequently disagree with persons of weak digestion, the husks 
being especially indigestible, so that they should always be blanched. Eaten in large 
Quantities, they are purgative. 

Cocoanut. — As there is danger in the summer that the heat will sour the 
milk, these should be purchased carefully. 

Pistachio nuts are the fruit of a tree growing to the height of 15 or 20 feet. 
The tree came originally from Asia, but now grows plentifully in the southern 
parts of Europe. The nuts need to be blanched like almonds. They are costly, 
and as they much resemble the almond in flavor, the latter is often substituted 
for them in flavorings, etc. 

Nutmegs. — Prick these with a pin; if oil runs out, they are good. 

Nutmeg is the kernel of the fruit of an evergreen tree now cultivated in the West India 
Islands, etc. It contains about 6% of a pungent essential oil. It is aromatic, stimulant, and 
contains narcotic properties. 

Raisins. — The best way is to buy a small box in families where they are much 
used, but they do not improve with age. For puddings and fine cakes the 
"seedless" are preferred, but the "Valencia" are used more generally because 
cheaper. Loose "Muscatels" and layer raisins are the best for table use. 

Raisins are dried grapes. There are 2 ways of preparing them. One way is to partially 
cut through the stalk, and then let the fruit shrink and dry on the vine, by the heat of the 
sun. The other method is to dip them while yet on the vines into a hot solution of alkali, 
derived from wood ashes, to which olive oil and salt are added. The oil causes them to 
shrink and wrinkle, and the alkali removes the waxy coat which impedes their drying. 
They are then dried in the sun in bunches, on lines or prepared floors. Muscatels are pre- 
pared by the first method, and are sometimes called " raisins of the sun." Raisins contain 
more sugar and less acid than gnapes, and are therefore more nutritious, but eaten to ex- 
cess they are apt to derange the digestive organs. 

Rice. — The southern is better than the Indian rice, and cooks more quickly. 
It should be examined occasionally to see if insects are getting into it. That 
which swells most in cooking is best. 

Salt. — This if good should be dry, white, fine and perfectly soluble in water. 
Lime and magnesium are found in the coarser kinds; the color is dark often, and 
it absorbs moisture from the air. Chloride of magnesium makes it absorb mois- 
ture, and gives it the bitter taste sometimes noticed. If adulterated, it is usually 
with gypsum (sulphate of lime), which gives it a dull look, and is not readily 
soluble in hot water. 

Spices. — These are best bought in small quantities, but a little of all kinds 
should be kept on hand. See what we say elsewhere about their adulteration. 

Mixed Spices.— Take 2 even teaspoons of allspice, 2 heaping teaspoons of cloves, 2 heap- 
ing teaspoons of mace, and 6 heaping teaspoons of ground cinnamon, and thoroughly mix; 
use for puddings or dark cakes. 

It is difficult to draw a very distinct line between spices and condiments, but spices are 
generally added to articles of food containing sugar, while condiments are eaten with meat, 
and generally with any foods which contain common salt. Cloves and allspice are, how- 
ever, eaten with meat, and cinnamon, nutmeg and mace with sweet foods. Spices can be 
used in moderation, but if used in excess, they irritate the mucous membrane and are harm- 
ful, often causing dyspepsia. 

Allspice is the popular name given to Pimento or Jamaica pepper. It is the berry of 
a tree (the Pimento, Officinalis) which grows in the West Indies and South America, and at- 
tains a height of 15 to 20 feet. The berries are picked green and dried in the sun, when they 
become black. Pimento contains about 4% of an aromatic pungent oil much like cloves. It 
is a mild, agreeable and innocent spice. 

Angelica is an aromatic herb. Its roots are used as food in Norway. The stems, 
boiled in syrup, yield a sweetmeat. The seeds are dried and used for flavoring some 
cordials. 

Caraway.— These seeds are the fruit of a biennial plant something like a carrot. The 
root is sometimes used like the carrot, but is a little too strong. The seeds contain an es- 
sential oil, and are used to flavor cookies, etc. 

Cassia is the dried bark of a Chinese species of cinnamon, and "Cassia Buds" are the 
unripe fruits of the same tree. 

Cinnamon.— This is the inner bark of a tree, a species of the laurel family which grows 
to the height of 20 or 30 feet, and is found in Ceylon, Java, etc. " Clove Oil" is dis- 
tilled from the leaf. Cinnamon contains a fragrant essential oil. It is best to buy it in the 
stick or roll; pound it in a mortar, and sift it fine for use. 

Cloves are the dried flower buds of the clove tree, an evergreen tree belonging to the 



MARKETING. 35 

myrtle order. Our supplies come from Zanzibar and the West Indies. They contain a con- 
siderable quantity of a pungent oil which is aromatic and stimulapt. 

Coriander Seeds come from an umbelliferous annual plant found in Europe. It contains 
a little essential oil. 

Ginger is the root of a plant deriving its name from the mountain Ginger, in Hindoostan, 
of which it is a native. It now comes chiefly from the East and West Indies. It is dug up in 
January or February, scraped, washed and carefully dried. It contains starch, gum, an 
acid resin which gives its hot taste, and a volatile oil which gives its odor. The best comes 
from Jamaica. There are 2 kinds— white and black ; white is considered superior. It is aro- 
matic, stimulant, and in hot weather is valuable as a medicine. It is less heating to the 
system than might be expected from its taste. 

Mace is the membrane which surrounds the nutmeg. It contains about i l A% of an aro- 
matic oil, and its general qualities are similar to the nutmeg. 

Pepper.— Of this aromatic berry or fruit there are several kinds. The black is derived 
from berries growing on vines something like grapes. It grows in Malabar and other places. 
Each berry contains a seed of a brownish color, which is black when dried, and is the pep- 
per of commerce. White pepper is made from black by steeping the seeds in lime water and 
then rubbing off the coats, and is therefore less pungent than the black. Black pepper con- 
tains a concrete acrid oil, a volatile oil, starch, malic and uric acids and lignine. Small 
quantities are stimulant, but large quantities are irritating. Even small quantities pro- 
duce detrimental effects on inflammatory constitutions. Cayenne pepper is made from the 
dried pods and seeds of various species of capsicum. It is stimulating, and though not used 
as much as black pepper, is more wholesome. Chillies is a Mexican name signifying pods. 
When ripe, the pods are dried in the sun, mixed with a little salt, and kept in closely stop- 
pered bottles for use. 

Starch. — The best is the cheapest, and in a large family a saving may be made 
in buying by the quantity. 

Sugar. — The granulated sugar is less apt to be adulterated than the moist 
brown sugar. It is usually best to keep some of the granulated, powdered and 
brown on hand, using each for the purpose for which it is best adapted. The 
margin of profit on sugars is small,, and little is saved by buying in large quan- 
tities. 

Vanilla Beans. — The best come from Mexico. They should be fresh, pliable 
enough to wind around one's finger, and oily. Do not buy those which are dry 
and brittle, or which have been split open, as that is sometimes done, and part of 
the seeds extracted. If they are covered with fine needle-like crystals, looking 
much like hoar frost, they are of the best quality, and rich with aroma. 

The vanilla bean is the fruit of a plant (an orchid) indigenous to Mexico, Peru, Brazil, 
etc. The fruit is cylindrical in shape and is filled with small, black, oily seeds. Its odor is 
due to the presence of benzoic acid, and is so powerful that it is said to intoxicate those who 
climb the trees to gather it. Vanilla is not suitable for flavoring food for invalids because 
of its medicinal qualities. It is a gentle stimulant and promotes digestion. The Mexican 
beans are the best. 

The tonka beans are the seeds of the Dipterus odorata, which is a native of Guiana. The 
odor comes from a volatile oil which they contain. 



KEEPING PROVISIONS. 

"Economy of food is the wealth of Nations." 

By properly caring for the provisions which are bought, a considerable saving 
can be made in the housekeeping expenses, and every housekeeper should un- 
derstand the best methods of keeping the various articles of food, and should 
make arrangements for taking care of them. A good cellar and store room are 
among the most important rooms in the house, and no better investment can be 
made than to fit up such rooms suitably. Those who are not fortunate enough 
to have rooms of this kind such as they would like, can usually fit up some sub- 
stitute by exercising a little ingenuity. In the absence of proper places for 
keeping provisions, a hanging safe, suspended in an airy situation, is the best 
substitute. Carelessness in the use and care of the provisions marks the poor 
and shiftless housekeeper. 

The larder should be cool and dry, with the outer air playing freely through 
it, and it should be in the shade — if possible have it face due north, so that the 
sun never comes in. It should be impervious to vermin and insects, especially 
flies. A few shelves, a few strong iron hooks on which to hang meat, and some 
wire covers for cold meat, are among the principal requisites. 

MEAT, GAME AND FISH. 

Meat requires a dry, airy place, and should always be hung up, not laid on a 
plate or dish, and before being hung up it should be wiped. The most favorable 
weather for keeping meat is when it is cool, clear and dry. When the atmosphere 
is thick and moist, meat will soon taint. Keeping meats for a few days in a cool 
place improves them, except veal, lamb and pork. In most cases fresh meat is 
cooked too soon after being killed, which arises, perhaps, from the general want 
of proper larders, and the dread of the meat being spoiled. The consequence is, 
that, instead of being palatable and tender, the meat is tough and disagreeable, 
and not so nutritious or easily digested as it ought to be. But, although it is ad- 
visable that animal food should be hung in the open air until its fibres have lost 
some of their toughness, yet, if it is kept till it loses its natural sweetness, its 
flavor becomes deteriorated. As soon as the slightest trace of putrescence is de- 
tected, it has reached its highest degree of tenderness, and should be dressed at 
once. Meat is frequently cut from an animal and cooked at once after death, in 
warm climates, and before what is called rigor mortis (the stiffness of death] sets 
in. Meat is harder to masticate and digest during this rigor, which comes on 
soon after death, and the object in "keeping" the meat, as is done in temperate 
climates, is to let this rigor pass off, as it is then better for eating; pounding the 
meat, after cutting it in thin slices, hastens the process. Domestic fowls, wild 
game frequently, frogs, fish and some mollusks, are about the only animals cooked 
in this climate before this rigor comes on. 

Meat may be kept fresh for 5 or 6 days in the hottest weather by putting it in 
a stone crock, and completely covering it with skimmed milk, just turning sour 
or getting thick; but the liquid must fully cover the meat, and it should be kept 
in as cool a place as convenient; then wash it well before cooking it. 

On buying meat in hot weather, if you have no refrigerator, wipe it dry, dredge 
it with flour and pepper, and hang it in the larder; these can easily be washed off 
before it is cooked. Or it may be prepared as above, wrapped in a dry cloth, 
and covered with charcoal or ashes. To keep it from tainting, charcoal is about 
the best thing. 

Should meat be tainted at all, it is best to wash it with vinegar and water, or 
powder it with charcoal, and then wash it off with water; it will afterwards be bet- 
ter roasted than boiled. The habit which many people have of putting meat di- 

(36) 



KEEPING PROVISIONS. 3? 

tectly on the ice, in its wrapping paper, is a very bad one; the juices are drawn 
out by the water. It is not the ice but the cold air which checks decay, so that 
meat, etc., should be placed near the ice but not on it. After keeping meat on 
ice, it should be cooked immediately on taking it off. When it is seen that meat 
will not keep long, it is better to parboil or half roast it at once; after which, when 
it is cooked, it must be plunged into boiling water, if to be boiled; or, for roast- 
ing, put it before a very hot fire to start. During the summer months it is diffi- 
cult to procure meat that is not either tough or tainted; it should, therefore, be 
examined when it comes in, and if flies have touched it, the part must be cut off 
and the remainder well washed. To protect meat from flies, one method is to 
use a wire meat safe, or cover the joints with a long, loose gauze, or some thin 
cloth, and hang them from the ceiling of a dry room. Pepper and ginger should 
be sprinkled on the parts likely to be attacked by flies, but should be washed off 
before the joint is put to the fire. 

Keeping meat in winter is comparatively easy, and it should always be hung 
till in good condition; it is better to do this at home than trust to the butcher. 

If a little creosote is placed on a small plate immediately under a piece of 
meat as it hangs in the safe or larder, and a piece of cloth is spread over both 
meat and plate, the creosote will form an atmosphere around the meat which will 
keep it for 3 or 4 days longer than otherwise, and it will not impart the slightest 
smell or taste to the meat. It will also free the larder from flies. 

When meat is hung in a damp place a ad has become moldy, and what is 
usually termed faint, it may be quite restored by being pared where necessary, 
and washed all over with vinegar and water before cooking. 

Frozen meat should be thawed out gradually by soaking it in cold water; a 
piece weighing 10 lbs. will take 10 to 12 hours to thaw, but do not cook it until 
it is entirely free from frost. A coating of ice may gather on the outside, but it 
will easily cleave off. Do not let meat freeze, however, if you can help it. 

As for cold meat, it may be said, that when newly cooked meat is brought from 
the table, and is to be put aside for after use, it should be put on a clean, dry dish, 
placed in the larder, and covered with a wire cover; if any liquor or gravy is left 
about it, the meat is apt to become sour. Cold meat is always best when it has 
not been cut while warm, as then the juices have not run out, and remain to en- 
rich the meat. 

Beef may, in favorable weather, be kept from 4 to 10 days to advantage. The 
kernel in the round of beef, and the marrow from the bone should always be 
taken out in hot weather before hanging, as it taints before the joint itself. 
Those living in the north will find it economical to buy a hind quarter in cold 
weather and have it cut up; that which is not needed at once can be packed with 
ice or snow and kept. 

Mutton may, in favorable weather, hang 2 or 3 weeks or more, as it will 
keep longer than beef. When wrapped in a cloth wet with vinegar, and hung in 
a dry cellar, it keeps well and improves in tenderness. Epicures like it hung for 
a month, and it will keep for that length of time without taint if the weather is 
favorable. 

Veal, lamb and pork ought not to be kept more than 1 day, or 2 days at the 
most. It is best to cook it soon after being killed. If lamb has to be kept, it 
should be partly cooked, as that is the most certain way to preserve it from 
taint. 

Game and Poultry. — Game may be kept more easily than poultry, but it re- 
quires care and constant watching to bring it exactly into condition. No rules 
can be given as to how long it may hang, for not only does it depend on the kind 
of game and the weather, but still more on the taste of the individuals who have 
to eat it. Some people like it almost putrid, while others cannot touch it if 
at all high; but it may be said that when the feathers come out very easily, it is 
generally considered fit for cooking. Old game will hang longer than young, and 
afterwards will require longer cooking. Game is frequently hung 2 or 3 weeks. 

When game or poultry becomes strong, put some charcoal in water and soak 
the bird in it for a few hours, which will sweeten a bird that seems spoiled. 
Some people put soda in the water, but the charcoal is best. Sportsmen who 
wish to ship game can send it a long distance if they will shut out the air by 
tying a string tightly about the neck, and then stuff some charcoal up the vent. 



m KEEPING PROVISION^. 

Turkeys may be kept a fortnight. Ducks and geese s if their feathers are left 
on and they are hung by their legs, may be kept in a good larder for several 
days. Great care mtlst be taken in picking feathered animals which have been 
kept, for the skin will be easily torn. Even delicate birds can be preserved if 
they are drawn as soon as they are killed, and then carefully washed in a solution 
of soda and water; afterwards dry, put some charcoal inside, and after spreading 
a cloth over it, hang it up in some place that is cool and dark. All water birds 
should be eaten as fresh as possible, as their flesh is oily, and soon becomes rank. 
Poultry is eaten fresh, and does not require hanging. 

Fish of nearly all kinds is best when cooked as fresh as possible. If it has 
been kept on ice, it should be cooked at once on taking it off, as it will get soft 
soon and its flavor will be lost. When fish is plentiful and cheap, and a larger 
quantity is purchased than is immediately wanted, any surplus which will bear 
it, should be potted or pickled or salted and hung up; or it may be fried and then 
used for stewing the next day. Fresh water fish, having frequently a muddy 
smell and taste, should be well cleaned and soaked in strong salt and water. If 
of a sufficient size, it may be scalded in salt and water, and afterwards dried and 
dressed. Cod-fish, whiting and haddock are none the worse for being a little 
salted and kept a day; if the weather is not very hot they will be good for 2 
days. In cleaning fish it is best to use as little water as is consistent with clean- 
liness. 

Cold fish should be saved, as it may be utilized in salads and prepared in 
many attractive ways. 

Sprinkling fish with sugar will keep them a long time, and it does not injure 
their flavor. Keep them in a horizontal position to enable the sugar to penetrate 
them well. Salmon is improved by this treatment. 

To preserve fish alive for transporting from place to place, stop up their mouths with 
crumbs of bread steeped in brandy, and pour a very small quantity of brandy into them; 
pack them in clean straw. The fish will become quite torpid, and in this state may be 
kept 10 or 12 days. When put into water, they will gradually recover after 3 or 4 hours. 

To keep oysters, put them in a tub and cover them with salt and water; leave 
in 12 hours, then take them out and let stand 12 hours, without water. If left 
without water every alternate 12 hours they will keep much better than if left in 
it constantly. Never use the same water for them twice. Or live oysters in the 
shell may be put in some cool place, like a cellar, and sprinkled with salt and 
cornmeal, then cover with a thick, wet cloth. Repeat every day, and keep the 
cloth wet. They will keep this way 10 or 15 days. When taken from the shell, 
keep them on ice, and the sooner they are eaten, the better. 

VEGETABLES. 

A great deal is lost in most households because this class of provisions are not 
suitably cared for, and we offer suggestions about keeping the more important 
articles. We elsewhere give the best methods of canning and preserving. 

All vegetables, when cut, may be kept fresh by putting the stalks into water; 
servants generally insist on immersing the whole vegetable, which favors decom- 
position. All withered vegetables should have the stalks freshly cut, and the 
ends should then be put in a bowl of water, just as withered flowers would be 
treated. Through the stalks they suck up water enough to fill their shrunken 
cells, and that makes them green and stiff once more; but it is a mistake to plunge 
the entire plant under water. Of course this does not apply to the washing of 
vegetables and salads, which cannot be too complete. 

Potatoes are sometimes laid in the sun to dry, but if left too long in the sun, 
they turn yellow or green and strong, and are then unfit for food. All green 
vegetables should, as a rule, be used as soon after being gathered as possible. 
They begin to ferment and lose their wholesomeness and flavor very shortly after 
being taken from the ground. When they have to be kept for a day or two, place 
them in a perfectly dry, dark and cool situation, but not exposed to currents of 
air. Aim to keep each vegetable separate from others to prevent contamination 
of flavor. Do not wash them until immediately before being used. 

To keep vegetables like onions, turnips, etc., during the winter, a common 
method is to bed them in sand, in a cool place, but where they will not freeze; or 
air slacked lime may be used. Another method is the following: Sink a barrel 



KEEPING PROVISIONS. 39 

(Or a box or cask, which will be better) % of its depth into the ground in the 
cellar; heap dirt around the part projecting out of the ground, with a slope on all 
sides; in this, place the vegetables you desire to keep; cover the top with a water- 
tight cover, and when winter sets in, throw hay, straw or leaves on top. If the 
bottom is out of the cask or barrel it will be better. Cabbages, celery and other 
vegetables will keep in this way as fresh as when taken from the ground. Celery 
should stand nearly perpendicular, celery and earth alternating. Freedom from 
frost, ease of access, and especially freshness and freedom from rot are the ad- 
vantages claimed. Again, Prof. Maynard, of the Mass. Agricultural College, 
writes: "Many cellars are often so warm or dry that such vegetables or roots as 
the turnip, beet, parsnip, etc., do not keep well. To overcome this difficulty, soil 
is often used to pack the roots in, but the best way to preserve them, and the one 
requiring the least labor, is as follows: In the coolest and darkest corner of your 
cellar spread a thin layer of fine, moist leaves. Those of the apple tree are as 
good as any. If there is a little admixture of snow or frost, all the better. Upon 
the leaves place a layer of roots one deep, then a layer of leaves, and so on until 
the pile is complete. Very large quantities should not be stored in one pile, as the 
leaves would be liable to heat. By this method I have kept the common English 
turnips in perfect condition until May 1, and beets until August. They are thus 
easily preserved and not as difficult to get at as when stored in sand or soil." 

Roots of all kinds may be preserved in an ice house, where one has one, till 
the return of the natural crop. Pill the cracks in the ice with straw, cover the 
top with the same material, and on it place baskets, boxes, casks, etc., and fill 
them with carrots, turnips, beet-roots, potatoes, etc. They will thus keep fresh 
and uninjured. 

Most vegetables keep best when the temperature is low, but they should not 
freeze. Some articles, like apples, keep best in quite a low temperature, and may 
be kept for months after freezing solid, if not moved or disturbed while frozen. 
Vegetables which are frozen, or touched with frost, should be thawed out gradu- 
ally, by putting them in cold water until the frost is all out. 

Artichokes. — These keep well bedded in sand in a cool place. Another plan is 
to take as many as you intend to keep, and boil them barely enough to be able to 
pull off all the leaves and choke; lay the bottoms on a tin plate and put them in 
the oven. When thoroughly dry, and quite hard, put them in a paper bag, and 
hang them in a dry place. Before using, they must be soaked in warm water 3 to 
4 hours, changing the water very often. Let the last water be boiling hot; the 
bottoms will then be very tender, and eat as well as fresh ones. 

Beans. — To keep these fresh for winter, procure a wide-mouthed stone jar, 
lay on the bottom of it some freshly-pulled French beans, and over them put a 
layer of salt; fill the jar up in this way with alternate layers of beans and salt. 
The beans need not all be put in at the same time, but they are better if the salt 
is put on while they are quite fresh. They will keep good all winter. On using 
any, steep them for some hours in fresh, cold water. A pinch of baking soda in 
the water in which they are boiled gives them the bright green color they have 
when fresh. Cover the top layer with plenty of salt, and keep the cover tied on 
tightly between the times of using the beans. 

Dried string beans are excellent in winter. Cut the beans up in the usual 
lengths, dry them, and put them in a bag. In winter soak them, and cook them 
in the usual way. 

Cabbages. — Gather them before the severe fall frosts; let the coarse, outside 
leaves remain on them. Fix a strong string around the stalk, and suspend them 
from the timbers of the ceiling, head downwards. The cellar should be cool and 
dry. This will preserve them to a certainty. Another good method is to cut the 
cabbages from the stump, pack them close in a barrel or box, and fill up all va- 
cancies with dry chaff or bran, and keep in a dry cellar. 

Cauliflower.— This may be kept till February by putting it in a cellar, and 
covering the roots and stalks with earth. Or it may be placed in a trench in 
the garden, roots down, and covered with earth close up to the head, and 
then covered with hay or straw 4 or 5 inches thick, placing just enough earth 
on the straw to keep it in position. This method answers in the latitude of 
New York, but in colder climates a thicker covering would be required. 

Celery. — This may be kept in good condition all winter in a cool, dry cellar, by 



40 KEEPING PROVISIONS. 

having it set in earth. When a small quantity only is wanted, take a box, stand 
the celery up in it, and place a little earth about the roots. 

Celery may be kept fresh for a week or more if it is wrapped up, first in brown 
paper, and then in a towel, and laid in a cool, dark place. Before it is wanted for 
the table, let it lie in cold water for an hour. This will make it crisp. 

Cucumbers. — These are much improved by being placed with the stalk down- 
ward in a jug of cold water for some hours before being used. A large cucumber 
may be kept in this way and used in portions for 2 or 3 days. They may be kept 
for a longer period by cutting them when at their best, and packing them in dry 
sand, so that they do not touch each other, and keeping them in a cool, dry place. 

Horseradish. — To keep this, grate it in the season, while green, put in bot- 
tles, fill them up with strong vinegar, cork tightly and set away in a cool place. 

Mushrooms.— Pick and cut off the stalks, wipe them clean, from the large 
ones remove the brown part, peel off the skin, and lay them on paper in a cool 
oven. When fully dry, put them into paper bags and keep them in a dry place. 
When required for use, simmer them in gravy, and they will swell to their 
original size. 

Onions tied up in strings in the old-fashioned way invariably keep much bet- 
ter than those laid on shelves or on the floor. They should be kept in a very dry 
place. Or, put them in boxes or barrels, and if there is danger of their freezing, 
cover them with straw or chaff at the approach of cold weather. Store them in 
the coolest part of the cellar. They are often injured by being kept in too warm 
a place. Alternate chilling and thawing destroys them, but if put where they 
will remain frozen all winter, no considerable injury will result if they are 
thawed out slowly, and in a dark place, but use them soon afterwards. 

Parsnips. — Before the ground freezes in the fall, enough should be dug to 
use during the winter. They can be stored in barrels or boxes, packed in dry 
sand or chaff. Keep them in a dry and cold place. The balance can be left in the 
ground where they grew until the frost is out in the spring, when they should be 
dug and used before they begin growth, for as soon as that takes place they lose 
their sweetness. 

Green peas may be kept for winter use as follows: Gather the peas when 
plentiful, shell them, and then wash and scald them in hot water. When thor- 
oughly drained put them into bottles and fill up each one with strong brine; at the 
top of the bottle pour a thin layer of salad oil. Cork and seal the bottles, which 
must be quite full and kept upright. Or, when full grown, but not old, pick and 
shell them, and spread in thin layers on dishes or tins, and dry them very grad- 
ually in a cool oven or before a bright fire, stirring them frequently. When hard, 
let them cool, pack in stone jars, cover close, and keep in a very dry place. 
When used, soak them in cold water for several hours before boiling, till they 
look plump; they are excellent for soup. 

Potatoes. — These should not be exposed to the sun and light any more than 
is necessary to dry them, after digging them from the hill. Every 10 minutes of 
such exposure, especially in the sun, injures their edible qualities. Dig them, 
and when dry, put them immediately in a dark cellar. Apples and potatoes 
should not be kept in the same cellar unless necessary. If so, the apples should 
be kept in the coolest and the potatoes in the warmest part. Grocers who ex- 
pose potatoes for sale in the hot sun would do well to remember what is said 
above. 

To keep potatoes, intended for the table, from sprouting, take boiling water, 
pour it into a tub, and turn in as many potatoes as the water will cover, and 
leave them 2 or 3 minutes; the hot water will scald the eyes and prevent their 
growing; then pour off all the water, let them dry, and lay them on boards one 
deep, or put them in sacks, and keep them in a cool, dry place, and you will have 
good potatoes the year round. Do not leave them in the light, as that affects 
them unfavorably. 

Sweet potatoes need a warm, dry temperature. They keep well when packed 
in barrels of dry sand or dry leaves. A temperature of 45° to 50" is best for 
them. 

Squashes require a very dry place. They may be bedded in sand. Keep 
them cold, but do not let them freeze. They keep well on shelves in a dry, warm 
closet; grocers often keep them on the top shelves of the store. 



KEEPING PROVISIONS. 41 

Pumpkins. — To dry pumpkins, take those which are ripe, pare, cut into small 
pieces, stew soft, mash, and strain through a colander as if for making pies. 
Spread this pulp on plates, in layers not quite an inch thick; dry in the stove 
oven, kept at so low a temperature as not to scorch it. It will become dry and 
crisp in about a day. Store these sheets in a dry place. To use, soak the pieces 
over night in a little milk, and they will return to a nice pulp as delicious as the 
fresh pumpkin. The quick drying after cooking prevents any portion from 
slightly souring, as is always the case when the uncooked pieces are dried. 

Tomatoes. — Keep in a cool, dry place, but they are very perishable and should 
be cooked or canned soon, or they will decay. 

Turnips. — These should be kept dry, and as near the freezing point as pos- 
sible, as they sprout easily. They may be kept during the winter buried in the earth. 

Herbs, to Dry. — Gather them on a very dry day, and just before they begin to 
flower. If gathered when damp they will not be so good. Free them perfectly 
from dust and dirt, pick off all bad or discolored leaves, divide them into small 
bunches with their roots cut off, and dry them quickly in a hot oven or before the 
fire, as by this means most of their flavor will be preserved. The quicker they 
are dried, the better, but be careful not to burn them. Tie them up in paper 
bags and keep in a dry place. Or, what is a better plan, after drying as above, 
pick off the leaves, pound them, pass through a fine sieve, put each kind in a 
separate bottle, cork tightly, and label it clearly. Have them cold when bottled. 

Herbs. — These are a most valuable addition to the resources of the cook, and the more 
useful ones should be in every house. If judiciously used for seasoning, they add greatly 
to the flavor and attractiveness of food. Much of the charm of French cookery comes from 
the skilful use of seasoning. The useful herbs can be bought for a small sum, but almost 
any housekeeper can easily raise all she needs with very little trouble. Either ibasil, mint, 
sweetmarjoram.parsley, sage, thyme or tarragon can be raised in little boxes on a window 
sill, or In the yard in a sunny spot. The time for gathering them is as follows: Mint, pars- 
ley and tarragon in June and July ;marjoramand thyme in July and August; sage and basil 
in August and September. 

Bay Leaves are taken from a species of laurel, L. Nobilis. It is a native of Asia Minor, 
but is cultivated as a handsome evergreen. The leaves are large, shining and lance-shaped, 
and are bitter, aromatic and narcotic. They are used by cooks and confectioners because 
of their agreeable flavor. Most of the dried figs imported into this country are packed in 
bay leaves. The laurel among the Greeks was sacred to Apollo, and from it the garlands 
were made which were placed on the heads of heroes and poets. 

Borage is a useful plant that does best in a light soil, as a very rich soil makes it too 
luxuriant and affects its flavor. The young leaves can be made into a salad, or they can be 
dried for winter, and used to flavor soups and sauces. 

Cherry Laurel is another species of laurel (the Cerasus Lauroserasus). Its leaves are 
used for flavoring blanc mange, puddings, sauces, etc., but cooks ought to understand its 
true character. The leaves should be used with great caution, and but few should be used 
at a time, because when wet with water they yield prussic acid, which is a deadly poison. 
This same acid is found in bitter almonds and gives them their flavor, and a little of it is 
also found in peach pits and apple seeds. 

Sweet Basil is a tender annual, a native of Asia. The leaves and leafy tops are highly 
aromatic, and their flavor much resembles that of cloves. It is much used in French cook- 
ery, but not much by English or American cooks. 

The Marjoram is a plant of which there are several varieties. The sweet or knotted 
marjoram is the one usually preferred in cookery. It is a native of Greece. It is rather 
tender, and requires a light, dry soil, but if taken in doors and 'kept in a warm, sheltered 
place, free from wet, it may be kept through the winter. The leaves have an agreeable aro- 
matic flavor, and are used in soups, stuffings, etc. Medicinally it is stimulant, tonic, and 
useful for nervousness. 

Mint. — There are many varieties of mint, and the species are distributed nearly all over 
the world. The green mint or spearmint is the variety commonly used in cookery, the 
leaves being used in sauces and salads, and to counteract the flatulent properties of some 
young vegetables. Spearmint is highly esteemed as an anti-spasmodic and stomachic. 
Peppermint is another variety, possessing the same properties, but is much stronger. The 
oil which is extracted from it is a carminative and stimulant, and is used for flavoring 
lozenges, etc. 

The Parsley is a hardy biennial plant, a native of Eastern Europe. There are several 
varieties, the Hamburg parsley being grown for the sake of its roots which are eaten like 
parsnips. The leaves "of parsley are nutritious and stimulating, and are used as a flavoring 
for soups, etc., as well as for garnishing foods. The root is diuretic. The fruit (seed) is a 
deadly poison to many birds, especially parrots. 

To Keep Parsley for the winter, use that which is freshly gathered, wash it free from 
grit and dirt, and put it into water which has been slightly salted and well skimmed, and 
let it boil 2 or 3 minutes; then take it out, drain, and lay it on a sieve before the tire and dry 
as quickly as possible; store away in bottles in a dry place. When wanted for use, pour a 
little warm water over it and let it stand about 5 minutes. 

The Sage is a hardy shrub, a native of the south of Europe. There are several kinds of 
it, known as the red, the green, etc. Its principal use in cookery is for stuffing and sauces, 
the red being most agreeable for this use, and the green next. The other varieties are used 
for medicinal purposes. 



42 KEEPING PROVISIONS. 

Savoby.— Of this there are 2 kinds, summer and winter. Summer savory is grown for 
seed and used both green and dried; winter savory can he grown from slips and cuttings. 
Both kinds are highly esteemed in cookery for their powerful aromatic flavor. 

The Tarragon is a hardy plant which grows in light, dryish soil. Itis a native of 
Siberia, and belongs to the order Composite?. It has smooth leaves, of a bright green color, 
which are agreeable to the taste, and are used principally for making the tarragon 
vinegar. 

The Thyme is a native of Spain and Italy, and was well known to the Romans. Its 
leaves possess an agreeable and highly aromatic flavor, and are used, in both a green and 
dried state, to season soups, sauces, stuffings, etc., but a little of it goes a long ways. The 
Lemon Thyme is a variety of the wild thyme, remarkable for its smell, which closely re- 
sembles the rind of a lemon. 

FRUIT. 

Fruit, as well as vegetables, will keep very fresh if you can manage to put 
the stalks in water, only it must not be in a close or dark place. When apples, 
oranges, lemons, pears, etc., are to be stored, they should not touch each other, 
and they should be protected from heat, cold and damp, as much as possible — 
sunshine is not desirable. A fruit room does not require much ventilation, un- 
less it can be given without altering the temperature. Alternating from heat to 
cold produces condensation and evaporation of moisture, which soon causes 
decay, and it should therefore be avoided. Fruit should always feel dry to the 
touch. Fruit rooms which are above ground should be double-walled and ceiled, 
but when wholly or partially sunk in the ground this is not so important, if 
darup,is otherwise excluded. 

Many fruits are best kept by being dried, preserved, or canned; those subjects 
are fully discussed elsewhere in this work. 

Apples. — The best method of keeping apples is to carefully wipe each one, put 
them on shelves, and cover them with white paper; keep them from touching 
each other; to do this, a number of shallow trays may be provided, and supported 
on racks one above the other. The larger and finer kinds can be each wrapped 
in paper. Another plan is to pack the apples, so that they will not touch each 
other, in dry oats, or sawdust, much as eggs are packed; or put them in layers of 
dry sand. Bruised apples soon rot and infect those touching them. A dry, cold 
place in which there is little change of temperature is best. A piece of linen 
cloth spread over apples will make them less likely to freeze. When kept stored 
in barrels do not unhead them until they are wanted. It is rarely a good plan to 
sort over the apples to pick out the rotten ones; leave them undisturbed until 
used. 

Apricots. — These are difficult to keep long. If gathered before they are quite 
ripe on the shady side, and laid on a sieve in the fruit room or a cool cellar, they 
will keep perfectly for a few days, but not long. 

Cherries. — Fresh cherries will not keep long; they can be dried — see "Dried 
Fruit." 

Cranberries. — Keep these in the cellar, under water — say in a barrel or keg — 
and they will keep through the winter. Change the water every 3 or 4 weeks. 

The cranberry is nearly related to the bilberry. The species are all natives of cold 
countries, and grow well on swampy land. The fruit is too acid to be eaten raw, but has a 
very pleasant taste when cooked. The juice contains malic and citric acid. 

Filberts come from a cultivated variety of Corylus cupuliferce. They con- 
stitute a rich but rather indigestible article of food. The best way to keep them 
is to pack them when quite ripe and dry, in earthen jars, and place a thick layer 
of salt over them. Tie a paper over them, keep in a cool place and they will keep 
several months. If they get to look dark or moldy, place them in a colander, 
and shake gently over a pan of red hot coals on which a little powdered sulphur 
has been sprinkled; the fumes will soon remove the discoloration and make them 
fit for the table. 

Figs. — These, if not gathered from the tree until they are ripe and tender, will 
keep in the fruit room for a few days without growing moldy, but no longer; on 
ice they will keep 2 or 3 weeks. 

Grapes. — To keep well, they must not be too ripe; pick off any imperfect 
grapes from the bunches. On the bottom of a keg put a layer of bran that has 
been well dried in an oven or in the sun; on the bran put a layer of grapes, with 
bran between the bunches so that they may not be in contact; proceed in the 
same way with alternate layers of grapes and bran until the keg is full; then 



Keeping provisions. 43 

close it so that no air can enter. Another plan is to take a box and first lay a pa- 
per, then a layer of grapes (selecting the best bunches, removing all imperfect 
ones, and dipping the end of the stems in sealing-wax); then put in another paper, 
then more grapes, and so on until the box is full; then cover all with several folds 
of paper or cloth; nail on the lid and set in a cool room where it will not freeze. 
Use small boxes, so as not to disturb more than will be needed in a few days. 
Give each bunch plenty of room so that they will not crowd, and do not use news- 
papers. 

Lemons. — (1). Wrap each one in common tissue paper, and lay them on a 
shelf so that they do not touch each other. The shelf should be in a dry, dark 
cupboard, free from draughts. (2). Lemons will keep good for months by putting 
them in a jug of butter-milk, changing the butter-milk about every 3 weeks. 
When the lemons are required for use, they should be wiped dry with a cloth. 
(3). Put them in an open jar or basin (not a tight jug) of water, which should be 
kept cool and changed 2 or 3 times a week, taking care not to bruise the lemons; 
but in this way they gradually lose flavor. (4). Bed them in layers, in jars, in 
fine, dry sand, having the sand about 3 inches deep between the layers; pack them 
stalks down, and do not let them touch each other. Store them in a cool, dry 
place, and they will keep for months. (5). They may also be kept strung to- 
gether, or in nets, and hung in a dry, airy place, but they must not touch each 
other. 

Lemon Juice. — It is convenient sometimes to preserve lemon juice. Proceed 
as follows: Squeeze a number of fine lemons, taking care that they are all quite 
fresh. Strain the juice through muslin, and pour it into small bottles, and pour 
just enough olive oil on top to cover it and keep out the air. On opening for use, 
dip in cotton wool first, to absorb the oil; it will not stay good long after being 
opened, so use small bottles. Another plan is to put %. lb. sugar in ^ pint 
lemon juice; stir them together with a silver spoon till the sugar is quite dis- 
solved. Pour into small bottles, cork well, and tie bladder tightly over the 
corks. 

Lemon belongs to the citrus family, and is native to the north of India. It was unknown 
to the ancient Greeks and Romans, and was introduced into Europe during the crusades. 
It is now widely naturalized. Its acidity is due to the presence of citric and malic acid in 
the juice. It also contains 3 or 4 % of gum and sugar, and some albumenous matter, and a 
little potash and phosphoric acid. Lemons with thick rough skins are almost certain to be 
dry and spongy, so choose those with thin, smooth skins. Persons of bilious and sanguine 
temperaments may freely drink the lemonade made from its juice, but those with irritable 
stomachs should avoid it on account of its acid and therefore irritating qualities. 

Melons of all varieties should be kept in a cool, dry room. They should be 
cut when just ripe. 

Oranges should be wrapped in soft paper and laid on shelves or in a drawer. 
The atmosphere should be cool, dry and even in temperature. 

Peaches and Nectarines. — Different varieties of these vary in their keeping 
qualities. On a cool, airy shelf in the fruit room they should keep 2 weeks or 
longer; on ice, they will keep 4 to 6 weeks, but must be used as soon as they are 
taken out — almost before they cool. Nectarines keep rather better than peaches. 
Wrap each one in paper, and keep like pears. 

Pears. — Wrap each one in paper and keep it separate from others. Keep in a 
dry, even, cool temperature. They do not keep well. 

Persimmons. — These may be kept by putting a layer of brown sugar in an 
earthen jar; then put in a layer of persimmons, then sugar, and so on with alter- 
nate layers; have sugar on top. Keep paper closely tied over the top. 

Pineapples. — Take ripe pineapples, pare and remove the eyes, and with a sil- 
ver fork separate the pulp from the core; add 1 ft), granulated sugar to each 2 
cups of this pulp and let stand until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally; 
then put it in glass fruit jars, screwing on the covers tightly. 

Plums can be kept several weeks if wrapped in thin paper and laid singly on 
wood. Bruising them hastens decay. 

Ripe nuts are best kept in a cellar in a covered earthenware crock. Put 
them in when freshly gathered, and tie stiff, glazed, brown paper over the cover. 
Walnuts keep well packed in salt in crocks. Walnuts which have become shriv- 
elled should be steeped in milk and water for a few hours — say 6 or 8; this will 
make them plump and fine, and cause them to peel easily. 



44 KEEPING PROVISIONS. 

The Walxtjt is a native of Persia. In the south of Europe it is quite largely consumed, 
being there considered wholesome and nutritious. The unripe fruit, when the shell is soft, 
makes an excellent pickle. By boiling them in syrup a delicate sweetmeat is prepared. 
The oil pressed from the nut is sometimes used as a substitute for olive oil on the continent, 
and it is the nut oil used in painting. The matter left after the oil is extracted is nutritious 
for poultry or cattle. Grated walnuts are used in Spain for tarts and other dishes. 

Berries should be kept uncovered, and in a cool, shady place. They will not 
keep long. 

GROCERIES; ETC. 

The following suggestions about keeping some of the more important articles 
in this line will be helpful to many. 

Butter should be kept in a cool and airy place— but entirely excluded from the 
air and in as large a mass as possible. When ice is not obtainable in hot weather, 
get some saltpetre, dissolve it in cold water, and put a pan of butter in it almost 
as far as the top; lay a clean cloth over the butter, and let the corners rest in the 
saltpetre water; keep the jar in a cool, dark place; this will keep it fresh and 
moist. Another plan, which will keep it cool and hard without ice, is to set a 
plate of butter under a crock, and cover it with wet cloths as directed for keep- 
ing milk without ice. Butter absorbs odors readily, and should never be put in 
any place which is tainted with odors, from vegetables or anything else, nor 
should it be left exposed to the air in occupied rooms. It becomes rancid when 
freely exposed to the air. Leaving butter in water spoils it. 

The best way to keep butter from the air is to put it in a crock or tub, and 
spread common, coarse-grained salt to ~% or % inch in depth on top; then coyer 
with a cloth and lay anything flat on top of the crock. The salt by long keeping 
will turn to brine, which will effectually keep out the air, and may easily be 
poured off at any time. If kept in a cool, sweet room, however, good butter will 
keep without the brine. 

To keep butter sweet when it seems likely to taint, take some lime water and 
put the vessel containing the butter into it, leaving it there until the sweetness is 
restored. 

Rancid butter may be sweetened and recovered (1) by washing and kneading 
it well, first in new milk, and afterwards in cold spring water; butyric acid, on 
which the rancidity depends, being freely soluble in new milk. (2). Beat the 
butter in a sufficient quantity of water, in which you put 25 to 30 drops of lime 
chloride to each pound of butter. After mixing it till all its parts are in contact 
with the water, it may be left in from 1 to 2 hours; afterwards withdraw, and re- 
peatedly wash in fresh water. (3). Melt the butter and skim as for clarifying; 
then put into it a piece of bread thoroughly toasted all over. In 1 or 2 minutes 
the butter will loose its offensive smell and taste. (4). Thoroughly mix 1 tea- 
spoon of soda and 1 tablespoon of salt for each pint of butter; then add equal 
parts of butter and cold water, set on the stove, and bring all to a boil; then re- 
move, let cool, and take off the butter; it will be sweet, and good for cooking. 
(5). A little saltpetre worked into butter that has become sour or rancid will 
render it sweet. — Remember that great care must be taken not to burn butter 
when trying it out. 

A word about rancid butter.— Nobody eats it on bread, but it is sometimes used in cooking, 
although it really ruins every dish into which it enters. It is injurious, and many cases of - 
dyspepsia can be directly traced to rancid butter. It should never enter into the composi- 
tion of any dish which appears on the table. Sweeten it or throw it away. 

To keep butter hard in hot weather, without ice, invert a large crock of un- 
glazed earthenware over the dish containing the butter, (a large, clean flower- 
pot will answer); the porousness of the earthenware will keep the butter hard if 
the pot is wrapped in a wet cloth. Another way is, after one meal is served, take 
a silver-plated butter-dish, clean and wash it, then, when cool, place on it sufficient 
butter for the next meal; set the dish in a shady, airy place (in a draft if possi- 
ble); wet a clean towel with cold water, cover the dish tightly with the towel and 
let it stand until the next meal; the evaporation of the water will cool the butter. 

Milk should never be mixed; that is, do not put the evening's milk in with 
what was left over from the morning; the one will spoil the other. Never use a 
milk jug or can that is not perfectly clean; the least impurity adhering to the 
bottom or sides will be sufficient to taint it. In hot weather if much milk is ta- 
ken in the morning, scald it at once and it will keep good through the day. 



KEEPING PROVISIONS. 45 

Never let milk stand a moment in the sun, and do not let it stand in zinc, copper 
or brass vessels, nor in earthen vessels lined with lead glazings, as, if it sours at 
all, the lactic acid will attack these metals and taint the milk. Well tinned, the 
best glazed, or wooden vessels are unobjectionable if properly cleaned. There 
can be no question but what the germs of contagious diseases, like scarlet fever, 
diptheria, etc., have been transmitted by milk. It is a great absorbent of gases, 
etc., and should never be left uncovered in any occupied room, like a sitting- 
room or bedroom. 

Adding a little baking soda to milk will keep it from souring rapidly. In 
souring, the milk sugar turns into lactic acid, which is neutralized by the alkaline 
soda. The flavor of the soda will not be apparent in milk soups, etc. A little 
borax added to milk suppresses the incipient lactic fermentation which produces 
its souring. The little borax thus taken with the milk is harmless, and it will 
keep the milk unaltered for some time. 'Milk is so ready a transmitter of dis- 
ease germs, that inhabitants of cities and towns would do well to scald all 
they use. Milk can also be canned like fruit; take glass jars, fill them with milk, 
screw the lids on, and put them in a steamer, which should be set over cold 
water; then slowly heat it, and for about an hour steam the jars; finally the tops 
should be tightened again, and the milk will keep for many days. A little cal- 
cined magnesia or grated horseradish is sometimes added to milk to retard its 
souring. 

Milk slightly turned may be sweetened and rendered fit for use by stirring in 
a little soda; the alkali neutralizes the lactic acid. Sour milk can be scalded, 
which will render it sweet again; the curd and whey will separate, and in bread, 
the latter is better than shortening. 

As salt curdles new milk, it should not be added to milk preparations until the 
dish is prepared. 

To keep milk without ice put it in a tin pail, cover it with a wire gauze; then 
spread over it several layers of coarse cloth or carpet, which is thoroughly wet 
with water, and set it in a cool, shady place, where there is a draft if possible; the 
evaporation from the cloth will cool and keep the milk as well as most refrigera- 
tors. 

Cream may be kept for 24 hours if scalded without sugar, and by the addition 
of sugar it will remain good twice as long, if kept in a cool place. 

Cheese. — When uncut, this only needs to be kept dry. After being cut, it 
should be wrapped in a buttered paper and hung in a cloth bag in the air; or 
wrap it in a linen cloth, and keep it in a box, in a cool, dry place. Cheese, as well 
as milk and butter, will absorb strong odors, and should be kept away from them. 
Cheese excluded from the air quickly molds, but it should be thoroughly guarded 
from flies in a cheese cloth bag of 2 thicknesses. 

The mites which attack cheese are so small that they appear to the eye like animated 
dust. The best way to treat them is to rub them off, ana then brush the cheese over with 
hot lard, and repeat the process at intervals. Mites are not to be confounded with skippers 
which are the larvae of a little fly, and which find their way into the interior of cheese, or 
into parts of cheese, after being cut. 

Eggs. — These, unless perfectly fresh, cannot be kept under any circumstances. 
Store them in a cool place, and avoid changes of temperature. In packing them, 
always place the small end downwards. Eight parts of bran to 1 of quicklime, 
makes an elegant packing for eggs in transportation. There are various methods 
of keeping eggs, the following being the best: (1). Select perfectly fresh eggs, 
and put a dozen or more at a time into a willow basket; immerse this for 5 sec- 
onds in boiling water containing 5 lbs. common brown sugar to each gallon of 
water. Immediately after, place the eggs on trays to dry. The scalding water 
causes the formation of a film of albumen next the inner surface of the shell, and 
the sugar closes all the pores. Pack, when cool, small end down, in an intimate 
mixture of 1 part finely powdered charcoal to 2 parts of dry bran. Eggs thus 
stored, have kept perfectly for 6 months. (2). Dip each egg separately in melted 
parafine, perfectly covering its surface; then pack as before. (3). Use 2 pints 
of fresh slacked lime and 1 pint of common salt to each pail of water, and mix 
well. Fill a barrel half full of this liquid, and eggs put in it after June, will keep 
for weeks. (4). Pack the eggs, not too close together, in clean, dry sawdust or 
bran; they will keep for several weeks. (5). Dip the eggs into a solution of 



46 KEEPING PEOVISIONS. 

silicate of soda, kept liquid by adding a little tepid water; then dry them, pack 
down, and they Will keep a year or more. (6). Rub the eggs with linseed oil, 
and place them, small end down, in sand. They will thus keep for months. 

The philosophy of keeping eggs consists in the fact, that the shells are porous, and 
through these little openings or pores, the water inside will evaporate and air enters to 
take its place. The air which enters thus, carries in bacteria which cause decomposition, 
and hence, coating the shell with anything which keeps the water in and the air out, pre- 
vents decay. The evaporation of the water and entering of the air is what makes a 
stale egg lighter than a fresh one. 

Dried Eggs. — The eggs are beaten to a uniform consistency, and spread out in 
thin cakes on batter plates; this dries them in a paste, which is to be packed in 
close cans and sealed. When required for use, the paste can be dissolved in 
water and beaten to a foam, like fresh eggs. It is said that eggs can be pre- 
served for years in this way, and retain their flavor. 

Coffee. — This should be kept from the air in a tightly closing canister. Coffee, 
like butter and milk, will absorb exhalations from other substances, and thus 
sometimes acquires a bad flavor. This should be borne in mind in storing it. It 
is best not to grind it until just before it is used. As the green berry improves 
with age, and will keep 2 or 3 years, it can be profitably bought by the sack. 

Tea. — Exposing tea to the air destroys its flavor, so that it should be kept in 
tightly closing glass or tin canisters. Tea will yield nearly twice as much 
strength if it is ground or crushed just before pouring on the hot water, but the 
pulverized tea sold in the market is apt to be tea sweepings and not good. 

Flour and meal of all kinds should be kept in a cool, dry place. Flour will 
absorb odors, so that it should not be stored near anything odorous, like fish, 
onions, etc. Keep the temperature even, and neither extremely cold nor warm. 
Properly kept, it improves with age. It should be sifted and warmed before be- 
ing used in cold weather. Flour and meal have a tendency to absorb moisture, 
and when moist, they decompose more readily, and the lower forms of life are 
apt to develop in them, so keep them dry and well covered. 

Meal, sago, macaroni, semolina, and similar substances, are sometimes at- 
tacked by mites. They are so small as to be invisible singly, but a peculiar fine 
powder is to be seen at the top of the farina; there is also a smell something like 
honey or fermentation. They never appear in a dry storeroom, but are some- 
times brought from the grocer's. The only thing to be done when they appear is 
to burn the infected stock, and heat the jar almost red hot before using it again. 

Rice and all seeds should be kept dry, and closely covered to keep them from 
insects; they should be examined occasionally even then. 

Jams and Preserves should be kept as dry as possible. If the outside of the 
jar feels damp to the touch at any time, be sure the place is a bad one. At once 
wipe them dry with a cloth, and remove to drier quarters. 

Honey. — To keep honey after it is strained from the comb or wax, simmer 
gently, skim off the whitish foam which rises to the surface, and it will become 
perfectly clear. Put it in jars, when cool, and cover tightly. The vessel used for boil- 
ing should be earthen, or tin. To keep honey in the comb, selectcombs free from 
pollen, pack them edgeways in jars or cans, and pour in a sufficient quantity of 
the boiled and strained honey (as above) to cover the combs; then cover the jars 
with cloth or leather, and tie tightly. Twenty years' trial proves these recipes 
to be good. 

Honey heated in a can to 200° F., and then closed air tight, will not granulate 
again while thus sealed up. 

Maple Sugar. — To keep this, run the soft sugar into jars, and cover it with 
that which is just right to cake; it will retain its flavor indefinitely. 

Lard, to keep from Molding. — Lard made from intestinal fat will not keep as 
well as leaf lard. It should be soaked 2 or 3 days in salted water, changed each 
day. If properly tried, kept in a cool, dry place, and in perfectly clean crocks, it 
will not be likely to mold. See the recipe for keeping it sweet in the article on 
curing meats. Fresh lard may be kept in tin vessels. 

Suet. — To keep suet, choose that which is firmest and freest from skin and veins; 
remove all traces of these; then put the suet in the saucepan, at some distance 
from the fire, and let it melt gradually; when melted, strain into molds, fold in a 
white paper, put it in a linen bag, and keep it in a cool, dry place. When used, 



KEEPING PROVISIONS. 47 

it must be scraped, and it will make an excellent pie crust with or without butter. 
Thus prepared, it will keep a year. 

Beef Suet can be kept through the year for cooking purposes, if sliced and 
packed in strong brine, like any salted meat. When needed for cooking, take the 
needed quantity, rinse off the brine, and try it out in the frying-pan. It also 
supplies the place of lard or butter, if rendered and put away as lard. 

Salt.— The principal thing in keeping salt, is to keep it dry — store it in the 
dryest*place you have. If it becomes damp in the salt cellars or elsewhere, dry 
it in the oven and crush it again. Mixing a little corn-starch in the salt used in 
salt cellars or for the table, will keep it from becoming lumpy; use about 1 part 
corn-starch to 5 parts salt. 

Spices. — These are best kept in small, tightly closing tin boxes or glass bottles, 
with a clear label on each one, so that it can be selected without loss of time. 

Soap. — If hard soap is bought in quantities, and kept till it hardens well, it 
will waste less in using. 

Cider, to Keep Sweet.— Vee only sound apples. Make the cider when the 
weather is almost cold enough to freeze the apples. Expose the cider during freez- 
ing weather, and stir it till the whole is reduced as near the freezing point as pos- 
sible without freezing. Then barrel it, bung up tight, and place in a cellar kept 
nearly down to the freezing point. As long as kept cold enough, it will not fer- 
ment, and as long as it will not ferment, it will not sour. 

Vinegar, if bought by the keg, should be kept in the cellar, in a cool place. A 
little can be kept in the kitchen, in a tightly corked jug, from which to fill 
cruets. Keep vinegar in wood, glass or earthen vessels, as its acid will act on 
brass, copper or glazed ware, producing a poisonous compound. 

Yeast. — Keep this stored in glass or wooden vessels. Ordinary beer yeast 
may be kept fresh and fit for use for several months, by placing it in a close can- 
vass bag, and gently squeezing out the moisture in a screw press, the remaining 
matter becomes as stiff as clay, and must be kept in close vessels. 

Food of all kinds will keep longer if cooled quickly; the quicker it cools, the 
longer it keeps. Remember this especially of bread and soups. Before putting 
bread or cake into a jar or box, see that they are fully cooled, otherwise the steam 
will cause them to mold. Any cooked food placed in a cellar or refrigerator 
without being quite cool, will absorb a disagreeable odor from the confined air. 

Bread or cake should be kept in a closely covered stone jar or tin box. If you 
have any crusts or pieces of stale bread, do not throw them away, but dry them 
in a moderate oven; they can then be rolled on a board into crumbs, and they 
will be useful for anything that is breaded, like cutlets, croquettes, etc. Waste 
nothing. Stale cake may be worked into puddings, while pieces of stale bread 
can also be utilized for puddings, or for toast, dressing for meat, etc. Save all 
soups and gravy also, as a little of either will add to many dishes. 

Exposing to Sunlight. — Never let milk, cream, butter, salad oil, or any food 
containing it, stand for a single moment where the rays of the sun will strike it. 
Oils and fats of -every kind should be kept from the air and sunlight as much as 
possible. The chemical action of the sun's rays, and even long exposure to light, 
gives to fats a sun-burned taste, which is expressed by an old provincialism as 
"bingy." You can easily know this taste by leaving a bit of bread and butter 
lying in the sun for a while and then eating it, or rather trying to eat it, for you 
will not eat much. 

When food comes from the market, it should receive proper care, which is not 
always given it. Meat, milk, cream, butter, and in fact all foods attract in a 
greater or lesser degree, any impure odors near which they may be placed. The 
whole contents of a large refrigerator may be ruined by a bit of putrid meat, 
which has been overlooked by a careless servant. The refrigerator, larder, cellar, 
cupboards and closets where food is stored, whether cooked or uncooked, should 
be inspected at least once a day by the housekeeper, to see that nothing is spoil- 
ing. Unless this is done, especially in hot weather, there is danger that illness 
may result from eating fermenting food, or that more food material may be 
wasted than is placed on the table. 



SOUPS. 

Soups are of 2 kinds; the heavy, rich soups, made from stock prepared the day 
before, with the addition of other ingredients on the day of serving, and plain 
soups, made entirely in the morning before dinner. These latter will, no doubt, 
be more useful for ordinary occasions, being lighter, and quite as palatable, and 
they certainly are more economical than those made from stock. 

Soups are made by cooking meat, fish or vegetables in water or milk, and they 
are seasoned with a great variety of flavorings. If you see a recipe calling for a 
great variety of ingredients, many of which you do not have, you will find that 
you can often use what ingredients you do have and still produce a very good 
soup, as many of the ingredients can be omitted without much loss — it will sim- 
ply change the flavor a little. Remember that the 2 important points with soups 
are, (1) their nutritive properties, which are extracted from the meat, fish, etc., 
and (2) the flavoring derived from herbs, spices, etc., added for that purpose. 
Some soups will contain a good deal of nourishment and others very little; some 
will be very highly and others only slightly flavored. The names are often given 
to soups because of their principal ingredients, as with "Beef," "Chicken," "Po- 
tato," or "Cabbage Soup," and sometimes because of the color, as "White," or 
"Brown Soup," while often they are purely fanciful. By bearing these things in. 
mind, and by studying the principles involved in extracting the nutritive proper- 
ties from the fish or meat, the inexperienced cook can soon master the mysteries 
of soup making, and she can then easily make new and appetizing combinations 
for herself. 

The Utensils Used. — The soup-kettle or stock-pot for an ordinary family 
should hold from 6 quarts to 2 gallons. The allowance of soup for each person is 
a half pint, and unless the family is very large, a kettle of this size will give 
ample room for a full supply, after straining from the soup material. The best 
kettle is of iron, and if kept scrupulously clean (as all cooking utensils should be) 
it will not discolor the soup. If anything should happen to turn color in it, there 
is nothing harmful in the oxide of iron, whereas, some articles of food are made 
poisonous if prepared in brass, copper, or lead, especially acid foods, if allowed to 
stand in those vessels. The soup-kettle should be high in proportion to the size, 
as only a small surface in contact with the hot range is needed for the long, slow 
simmering required in the preparation of soups. A kettle of that form takes 
less room on the range, and when dinner is being prepared, this is desirable. 
Other utensils used in the preparation of soups are, 1 coarse and 1 fine colan- 
der, and 2 or 3 squares of cheese-cloth for strainers. The cloth strainer should 
be boiled in water with a little cooking-soda added. If boiled in soap, the odor 
is apt to remain in the cloth, giving a bad flavor to the soup. 

The Principles Involved in Soup Making. — Many cooks have little idea of 
the principles involved in extracting the nutritive properties from meat, but they 
are quite simple, and are as follows:* Fibre, fat, gelatine and albumen, with ex- 
tractives and salts (to which some writers give the name of osmazome) are the 
component parts of all meats. Fibres swell up and soften when subjected to the 
action of hot water. They are a valuable and nourishing food, but are insoluble 
in water, and constitute nearly all that remains of meat after long boiling. Fat 
is dissolved by boiling, but as it is contained in cells covered by a very fine mem- 
brane which never dissolves, a portion of it always adheres to the fibres. The 
other portion rises to the surface of the stock, and is that which has escaped 

*Count Rumford, writing of his experiments in feeding the Bavarian army, says: "I con- 
stantly found that the richness or quality of a soup depended more upon the proper choice 
of the ingredients, and the proper management of the fire in the combination of these in- 
gredients, than upon the quantity of solid nutritious matter employed; much more upon 
the art and skill of the cook than upon the sums laid out in the market." To which we may 
add, that the poor suffer more from the common lack of skill than the rich, because they 
are least able to bear the losses it entails, and therefore we say, that to no class is a clear 
understanding of the principles of cookery so important as to the poor. 

(48) 



SOUPS. 49 

from the cells which were not whole, or which have burst by boiling. Fat is also 
added to thickened soups, where it combines with starch and does not rise to the 
surface. The gelatine is soluble in water, and is the basis and nutritious portion 
of soup stock. It is the gelatine which, when enough of it is present, causes the 
stock to become a jelly when cold. Albumen surrounds the fibres of meat in its 
soluble state, just as it exists in an unboiled egg. It is soluble in cold or tepid 
water, but it begins to coagulate at 145° and sets into a jelly at 160°, for which 
reason it is evident that if the water is boiling when the meat is put in, or if it is 
afterwards made to boil up quickly, the albumen will harden, and will form a 
thin case or shell which will prevent the gelatine and osmazome from dissolving, 
and the result will be a thin and tasteless stock. Albumen partially dissolved, 
makes the cloudy appearance of soup and jelly; coagulated albumen is removed 
as scum. Scum is wasted food. It is well also to know that the size of the piece 
of meat affects the solubility of the albumen, as the part farthest from the sur- 
face will receive enough heat to be coagulated before it is dissolved, if the piece 
is large. The extractives and salts (osmazome) are soluble in water, cold or hot, 
and they give flavor and perfume to the stock. The flesh of old animals contains 
more than that of young ones, and brown meats contain more than white, and 
make the stock more fragrant. By roasting meat, a portion is converted to cara- 
mel; therefore, by putting the remains of roast meats in the stock-pot a better 
flavor is obtained. Choose lean rather than fat meat for soup. See also what 
we say elsewhere about the principles involved in cooking meats. 

Bones are composed of gelatine, a fatty fluid something like marrow, and an 
earthy substance, to which they owe their solidity. As much gelatine is con- 
tained in 2 oz. of bone as in 1 lb. of meat, but it is so encased in the earthy sub- 
stance, that usually only the surface is dissolved in boiling water; when the 
bones are broken, there are more surfaces, and more gelatine is dissolved; and by 
reducing the bones to powder, all the gelatine can be obtained. Long continued 
boiling is, therefore, needed for bones, and this boiling should continue until the 
earthy matter is full of little empty holes where the gelatine once was, and until 
the bone has lost % of its weight. They should boil for days rather than hours. 
The best way to break bones is to pound them roughly in an iron mortar, adding 
a little water from time to time to prevent their heating. It is a great saving to 
thus utilize bones which are often entirely wasted. If the bones are finely 
broken, tie them up in a bag and put them in the stock-pot. Now gelatine forms 
the basis of stocks, but although nourishing, it is without taste, and so stock 
made entirely of it, is not liked. Flavoring and salts are needed to make it palat- 
able, and when meat and vegetables are added to the cooking bones, they make 
the stock savory. 

Stock. — When meat is used solely to make stock, cut it into very small pieces, 
put it into cold water, and heat very slowly; but if you wish to have stock and a 
piece of savory meat also, choose the freshest meat, and have it cut as thick as 
possible, for if it is a thin, flat piece, it will not look well, and will be soon spoiled 
by the boiling. It is impossible, however, to have first rate stock and good 
boiled meat at the same time, as the two objects are diametrically opposed. As 
it extracts all the juices from the surface .of meat to wash it, that should never 
be done unless it is absolutely necessary. Add cold water, and put the stock-pot 
on a gentle fire and heat it gradually. The albumen will dissolve if it is never 
heated above 160°, and will not coagulate, but as, in this state, it is much lighter 
than water, it will rise to the surface, and this is what makes the scum. The 
rising of the hardened albumen {scum) has the same effect ia clarifying stock as 
the white of eggs (which is albumen) and, as a rule, it may be said, that the more 
scum there is, the clearer the stock will be. If you want clear stock, remove the 
scum when it rises thickly. Do not let the stock boil fast, because then part of 
the scum will be dissolved and another part will go to the bottom, thus making 
it difficult to obtain a clear broth. Always try to have the fire very regular, as 
then it will not be necessary to add cold water in order to make the scum rise; 
but if the fire is too warm at first, that will be necessary. If fried onions are 
added to stock, tie them in a little bag, as they may cloud it without this pre- 
caution. Generally speaking, the longer the stock simmers, the better it will be. 

Removing Fat. — The English and Americans prefer soup with the fat re- 
moved; it has become the fashion and the fat is thought to look badly, but the 



50 SOUPS. 

fat is food, and quite nutritious. The common people on the continent prefer 
their soup covered with " eyes " (fat). The scum is coagulated albumen, and if 
clean meat was used, the scum will not be objectionable; it is certainly nutritious, 
and to throw it away is clear waste. Its presence is not noticeable in thickened 
soups as it is mingled in and hidden by the other ingredients. Those who want 
clear soups can easily make them, but it is well to understand that they are less 
nutritious than others. In invalid cookery the fat is removed because the stom- 
ach is then weak, and often not able to digest it, but with healthy people the case 
is different. 

When it is desired to remove the fat, soup can be allowed to stand until next 
day, and it can then all be taken off; then the soup can be re-warmed. Or any 
surplus fat on the surface of soup may be removed (after skimming off as much 
as possible with a spoon) by drawing a piece of blotting paper across it, which 
will remove all the remaining fat. Or to take fat from soups, sauces, etc., thor- 
oughly wet a cloth with cold water and pour the stock through it; the coldness of 
the cloth will coagulate the fat, which will collect on the cloth; repeat if 
necessary; if any particles of fat remain, take them off with blotting paper as 
above. The fat on the cloth can be removed and clarified, and is good for many 
purposes. 

Flavorings. — Add vegetables used for flavoring about an hour before serving 
soup; that is, do not add them until the juices are nearly extracted from the meat. 
Wash and pare the vegetables, cut them into small pieces, and keep them in cold 
water until ready to add them to the soup. They can be first blanched or par- 
boiled if very strong or old. If desired, a part or all of the vegetables can be 
fried before being added to the soup; potatoes, cabbages and onions are better 
for being boiled in separate water before being added. Parsley, summer savory 
and celery are also often used; onions and garlic we speak of in the next paragraph. 
Some cooks occasionally use cloves, bay leaf, nutmeg, etc. For a variety, try a 
little caraway seed in potato soup. Just before serving, add the salt and pep- 
per. The flavoring of all food is an important matter and should never be 
slighted. For soups and stews the best rule is to combine several flavors without 
having any one of them too prominent. As boiling spoils the flavor of wines and 
catsups, if they are added, it should not be until just before serving. Unless the 
soup is to be thick, no flavor should be added, but if some of the meat and veg- 
etables used are fried, it will improve the color and flavor, but be sure nothing, 
either meat or vegetable, is added, which will have the taste of being smoked or 
burnt. Great richness may often be given to soups by the addition of fried cu- 
cumbers. Cut off celery leaves, dry them, and put them in a tin can, and you 
will have them the year round to flavor soups. 

Using Onions. — Onions, garlic and shallot are disliked by so many people, 
that, in making stock, or any of the quickly made soups, it is better to leave them 
out; but as many people consider soup flavorless without those vegetables, a dish 
of stewed onions, garlic or shallot may be cooked separately, and on serving it, a 
little can be added to the soup given to those who like such flavors. In this 
way, soup either with or without onions can be served from the same tureen. 

Onion juice for flavoring can easily be obtained by peeling and mincing an 
onion and squeezing it in an ordinary lemon squeezer, or cheese-cloth. The odor 
can be removed from the squeezer and knife by washing them in cold water. 

Garlic is an eastern plant which has been cultivated from ancient times. It belongs to 
the same family as the onion, and possesses its properties in an intensified degree. It is 
much used in Italian, Spanish and French cookery, but very little in English and Ameri- 
can. It is very wholesome, assists digestion, and acts as a slight stimulant and tonic. It 
possesses much medicinal value. As a rule, in using garlic, it is not chopped, but the flavor 
is imparted simply by rubbing; cut a little off of the end of the garlic, and rub it on the dish 
in which the food to be flavored is placed. 

The Chive is a plant belonging to the same family as the leek and onion, being the 
smallest of the onion tribe. Its properties are similar to the onion, and it is used like that 
in soups, sauces, salads, etc., but it is much stronger, and only about % as much is 
needed. 

The Leek belongs to the same order as the shallot, garlic and onion. It possesses simi- 
lar properties to the onion. It is very succulent and wholesome, but to prevent tainting the 
breath it should be well boiled. 

The Shallot, Shalot or Eschalot, is a native of Palestine. It was introduced into 
Europe by the Crusaders. It belongs to the same family as the common onion, but its fla- 
vor is stronger, and it does not leave an unpleasant odor behind. The leaves of the plant 
may be cut while growing, and used like young onions. It is used for high flavored soups 



SOUPS. 51 

and gravies, and is excellent when pickled. Shallot vinegar is used for flavoring soups, 
sauces, hashes, etc. 

Rocambole is often called Spanish Shallot, and belongs to the order IMiacoe. It is very 
similar to garlic, but is milder. 

The Sorrel (Rumex Acetosa) is a hardy perennial, which grows in Europe, Asiatic Russia 
and North America. It grows in any good garden soil, and when fully grown, the leaves 
are gathered singly, and they are used to flavor soups, salads and sauces. Sorrel was 
known to the Romans, who sometimes stewed it with mustard, and seasoned it with a lit- 
tle oil and vinegar. It is not much used in English and American cookery, but is used con- 
siderably in France. Its acid, which is very pronounced, is a combination of oxalic acid 
with potash, called by chemists, binoxalate of potash. 

Broth can be changed and often improved in flavor by using 2 or 3 kinds of 
meat at the same time; for example, with beef a little liver can be added, or with 
veal a piece of ham. 

For seasoning, salt, Whole and ground pepper, both black and white, cayenne, 
allspice, ginger, cloves, mace and cinnamon should be ready. Whole pepper is 
always used for white soups, as ground pepper makes them look dusty. As herbs 
and spices are more easily removed from soup, by straining, when whole than 
when ground, it is better to use them whole. 

Be chary of seasoning and spices. A little of these things will go a long way. 
But a very little sugar judiciously added will often be found to greatly improve 
the flavor. Never indulge over freely in onion or shallot in soups. The condi- 
ments should not be added until just before the simmering is completed, in any 
soup, as they will harden the meat etc., with which they come in contact. 

If too much salt is added by mistake, its taste may be modified by adding 2 or 
3 teaspoons of vinegar; its acid will partially neutralize the alkaline salt; then 
add a little sugar to mask the taste of the vinegar. 

Altering Recipes. — In order to be sure of the result, care should be taken in 
measuring all the ingredients, to use the exact quantities called for in a recipe, 
but if all the ingredients are changed in the same proportion (as, for example, 
using twice as much, or % or % as much of each one) the result will not be af- 
fected. It should be said, however, that except in those cases like the cooking of 
meat and vegetables, the baking of bread, etc., where definite chemical laws ap- 
ply (which cannot be violated without loss) the rules of cooking are not absolute 
and unchangeable. The large class of materials combined for producing flavors 
(as in soups, etc.) can be varied indefinitely, according to convenience and the 
materials at hand. Whenever you get hold of a recipe calling for numerous ar- 
ticles for flavoring, some of which you do not have, you can often use the recipe, 
putting in the flavorings you do have, or substituting others for those you lack, 
and still produce a very good dish, although it will of course be a new one — or, if 
not judiciously done, it may not be so good ! Those who have mastered the prin- 
ciples of cookery and acquired a little experience can devise many new and excel- 
lent recipes. 

No further general directions will be needed for making soups, as special di- 
rections accompany each recipe. The experienced cook can vary the rules ac- 
cording to the tastes of her family, while the novice in cookery will find the best . 
results by adhering strictly to the recipes as given, as they have been tested and 
found good. 

STOCK FOR SOUP. 

All meat and bones, scraps and trimmings, used in making stock, or plain 
soup, must be perfectly fresh, for the least taint in the meat is sure to spoil stock 
or soup. Soft water is also required, as this extracts the juices from the meat, 
and gelatine from the bones, much better than hard water. The proportion of 
meat and water for stock is about 1 pound of meat, bones and trimmings for 2 
quarts of water. The slow boiling does not much reduce the quantity, but a 
little boiling water may be added from time to time if any appreciable quantity 
has evaporated. When the meat separates from the bones, it can be taken out and 
used in making various side dishes found under the head of " Meats" — the bones 
remaining longer for the extraction of gelatine. 

Mutton, lamb and pork are not good for stock, as the flavor of the former is 
unpleasant when re-cooked, and pork is too oily to use in this way, although many 
cooks do use ham bones in soups. Beef makes the best stock, as the flesh of ma- 
ture animals contains more osmazome; an old fowl is a great addition to stock. 
Veal alone makes a fine white stock, but not so savory. Bones ought always to 



52 SOUPS. 

form a component part in the soup-kettle when making stock, and they should 
be finely broken, in order to extract all the gelatine. 

Watch the stock-pot until it is ready to boil, then carefully take off all the 
scum as fast as it rises. When thoroughly skimmed, set back on the range 
where it will just simmer — do not boil rapidly as this hardens the albumen. It 
may be kept simmering on a gas, or kerosene stove, if fire is not needed for other 
purposes. Stock while cooking should not be tightly covered. A sieve should 
be placed over the kettle to keep out flies, but close covering prevents the stock 
from being clear. The vegetables used in making stock, are turnips, carrots, 
onions or garlic and celery. The meat should slowly cook 4 or 5 hours, and the 
vegetables the last hour, as vegetables should only be added in time to become 
thoroughly done when used in any soup; then strain it through the cloth strainer 
(called by foreign cooks a " tammy") into a tin pail, or deep tin pan, as it cools 
more quickly in tin than in any other vessel. The pail or pan must be entirely 
tinned, for if the tin is off the vessel, the stock may be discolored by standing in 
contact with iron;— the salt in the soup will attack the iron, and cause rust. 
While boiling, the salt does not attack the kettle unless it is new and rough, be- 
cause, after using a smooth kettle for a while, the pores of the iron become filled 
with the fat of the meats cooked in it. Place the tin containing the stock in an 
airy place, in the shade, where it will cool as quickly as possible, and cover it with 
a sieve to keep out the flies. When it is cooled, place it uncovered in the ice chest 
for the fat to rise. The stock should be a firm jelly and will keep for a week in 
the ice-chest. The next day after making it, the fat can all be removed from the 
top of the stock, and used in cooking vegetables. Wipe the top of the stock with 
a dry cloth, and then with a little cloth wet with extract of cloves to prevent its 
molding. 

For ordinary cooking, especially in hot weather, it is better to make stock one 
day, for the soup of the following day, rather than take the risk of having it 
mold or sour. Remember that it must be cooled as quickly as possible without 
other covering than a sieve, which facilitates the escape of steam, and conse- 
quently the cooling of the stock, and at the same time keeps out the flies. If 
tightly covered, and the stock is a long time in cooling, it will ferment and sour, 
when it becomes poisonous. If only beginning to turn, it is said that it may be 
restored by tying some charcoal in a bag, putting it in the stock, and then boil- 
ing it. 

STOCK No. 1. 

2 lbs. shin of beef well broken. 3 carrots. 1 teaspoon of broken -white pepper. 

2 lbs. knuckle of veal. 1 turnip. 1 teaspoon of sugar caramel. 

1 gallon cold water. 1 head of celery. 1 blade of mace, or a little nutmeg. 

1 large onion. 4 whole cloves. 1 soup bunch; salt. 

STOCK No. 3. 

1 old fowl. 2 onions. Salt and pepper. 

4 lbs. veal bones well broken. 2 carrots. Cloves and herbs. 

1 gallon of cold water. 1 turnip. 

STOCK No. 3. 

4 lbs. beef shin-bones, broken. 3 large onions. Salt and pepper. 

1 chicken. 3 large carrots. Cloves and herbs. 

1 gallon cold water. 1 turnip. 

VEAI OR WHITE STOCK. 

Wipe 4 lbs. knuckle of veal, break the bones, put it into 1 gallon of cold water, 
heat slowly, and simmer 4 hours, skimming well; then add 1 stalk celery, 1 
onion, 1 bay leaf and 1 tablespoon salt, and simmer 1 hour longer. It should jelly 
when cold, and the fat can easily be taken off. It can be melted for use and 
strained through cheese-cloth, or flannel, or clarified with egg if necessary and it 
is wanted very clear. 

FISH STOCK. 

Never throw away the water in which fish has been boiled; it is valuable for 
making fish sauce, and also cheap fish soups — (soup maigre). Therefore, in 
boiling fish, or any meats whatever, when the broth is, or may be wanted for 
stock, be careful about putting in too much salt. Salt in quantity is not needed 



SOUPS. 53 

for boiling fish — only a little to harden it, and the sauce served with it can con- 
tain more if liked. Many kinds of fish, after boiling in j ust sufficient water to 
cover them, will leave the broth a hard jelly when it is cold. This of course contains 
nourishment, and the next day can be utilized for a fine soup, by adding the 
bones and remnants of the boiled fish with additional seasoning and vegetables. 

Stock, to Clear or Clarify. — For each quart of jellied stock, the whites of 2 
eggs are required; melt the stock and let it get steaming hot, but not boiling; 
heat the whites of 2 eggs with the shells which have been washed and well 
crushed, and stir into the hot stock, then let it come to the boiling point; set it 
back on the range and simmer 15 minutes; strain through a flannel bag; keep 
returning it through the bag until it runs through bright and clear. In cold 
weather this operation must be near the fire to keep the jelly from setting. The 
bag must be made of fine, thin, new flannel, and well scalded in hot water con- 
taining a teaspoon of borax, or cooking soda. Never use soap in cleaning the 
bag, or other strainers used in making soups or gravies, as the odor of the soap 
will affect the flavor of the soups. Clearing stock extracts the flavor and nutri- 
tion, and is not necessary for every-day soups, besides being too expensive, as 
well as consuming too much time. The every-day soup only needs straining and 
the removal of superfluous fat. 

To Clarify Soup, when desired, beat the white of an egg with a small cup of 
cold water and add to the soup; simmer for 10 minutes, and then strain through 
the "tammy," or cloth-strainer. 

Hints. — Even very weak stock is much better than water to use for soups and 
gravies, vegetable stock being better than none. White stock is made of veal, 
and of bones which have been boiled once or contain only gelatine. The best 
stock is obtained from the freshest meat. 

Soup meat if not boiled too long, can, after cooling, be finely chopped, seasoned 
to taste, and heated again with a piece of butter. If not moist enough, 1 or 2 
spoonfuls from the soup-kettle may be added. This will make a delicious side 
dish, or nice breakfast dish the next morning. 

If a good soup is served (which can be made of the cheapest cuts of meat) 
with bread, it is almost a meal in itself. Then the meat can be served as bouilli, 
or minced and made delicious by judicious seasoning and flavoring — it is much 
less expensive than the heavy and costly large joints. French cookery is pro- 
verbially inexpensive, and it is equally renowned for its delicacy. In France just 
this rule of cookery is most often followed. But it should be remembered that 
the French do not cook the soup until all the osmazome and nutrients are 
extracted from the meat. If cooked until all the nutrients are extracted from 
the fibres, they will be of little value, as needed fibre can be obtained more 
cheaply in other ways, than to attempt to make them palatable by adding the 
other ingredients necessary. 

Coloring for Soups. — The favorite coloring for soups is caramel, or scorched 
sugar (not burned). This not only gives the soup a fine, amber color, but also 
imparts a pleasant flavor to the soup. Onions fried a dark brown, will, in addi- 
tion to caramel, give a brown color. Many cooks fry a few slices of the soup- 
meat a dark brown, before the simmering process with water is begun. Pounded 
spinach, and puree of young green peas, color soups green. Saffron — only a very 
little is needed — will give soups a fine golden color, and tomatoes, lobster coral, 
well pounded, and cochineal, will give a red color to soups. Pot-marigold, leaves, 
stems and flowers, are used by the French to color and flavor soups. (This is the 
Calendula Officinalis, Order Composite). Vegetables sliced thin and fried in 
a very little butter till nicely browned, and then put into the soup kettle, will im- 
part an amber color. , 

Lobster Butter. — Take lobster coral (not the little red eggs that cling to the 
outside of the lobster, but the red lumps inside when it is cut open down to the 
tail); wash it carefully, removing every morsel of the flesh or green part, as that 
may turn it after it is made. Add a little butter and pound it in a mortar — the 
less butter used the better, but it must be pounded until perfectly smooth and 
free from grit; then add a little cayenne pepper and nutmeg, which will preserve 
it. About half fill jelly glasses with it, set it in the oven till thoroughly hot, press 
it down, pour on a little melted parafine or clarified butter, and tie on paper 



54 SOUPS. 

dipped in egg. It can be used to color soups, etc., and will keep a long time. 
Coral from crayfish can be used instead equally well. 

ADDITIONS TO SOUPS. 

Quenelles or Force-Meat, Croutons and Nudels or Noodles are additions to 
soup used by foreign cooks. Curry-powder and various sauces are also used for 
flavoring rich soups for banquets and dinners of ceremony, and can be used, if 
liked, in the preparation of side dishes made from soup-meat, in warming the re- 
mains of boiled and roasted meat. 

Croutons (pronounced Kru ' -tons). — These are bits of bread cut in small dia- 
monds, sqares, cubes, or in fanciful shapes. They are fried brown in butter, and 
used in soups and as a garnish for side dishes and entrees of meat. 

Forcemeat or Quenelles (pronounced Kee ' -nells). — This is made of equal parts 
of bread-crumbs, beef -suet, and any kind of raw meat excepting mutton, lamb, 
or pork. Poultry and game make excellent force-meat, but veal is most com- 
monly used. The suet and meat must first be cut finely, then chopped, and 
lastly pounded to a paste in a mortar, with a little salt, pepper and any pulver- 
ized herbs, if liked. 

To 1 pound of meat and 1 of suet, allow 4 eggs. Beat the eggs thoroughly and 
mix with the paste, and work through a wire sieve or fine colander to take out 
any fibres that may remain in the meat. To the strained mixture add the 
bread-crumbs which have been previously dried, pulverized and sifted; then 
take up the mixture in a teaspoon, and with another teaspoon form and smooth 

the quenelles in shape 
like a small egg; they are 
then dropped in boiling 
water for 10 minutes to 
poach. When a soup is 
to be served with them, 
' place them in the tureen, 
forming quenelles. ^*°H^ "f and pour the hot soup 

over them. Another way 
toprepare forcemeat balls is to shape the above mixture into balls the size of 
marbles, and fry in boiling fat until a light brown. 

Suet Dumplings for Soup. — Take 3 cups sifted flour, sift in 3 teaspoons 
baking powder, and then rub in well 1 cup of finely chopped suet; add 1 teaspoon 
of salt, and enough sweet milk to make as stiff as biscuit dough; then form it 
into balls about the size of oranges, flour them well, and % hour before serving 
the soup, put them in it; the cover should not be taken off, and to make them 
nice they should boil steadily until ready to serve. They make a kind of pot-pie. 
Noodles or Nudels. — To 1 egg add a little salt, and flour to make a stiff 
paste. Roll out as thin as a wafer, then roll up as you would jelly-cake. Slice 
off the end in fine strings, shake out loosely and cook in the soup for 10 minutes 
before taking it up; or the dough may be rolled out a little thicker than pie-crust, 
and cut in rounds with a tiny biscuit cutter; or it may be divided in 2, then 4, 
then 8 parts, and so on until the pieces are the size of a gooseberry when rolled 
in the hand. Roll, and boil them in the soup for 15 minutes before taking it 
up. The German nudels are made much the same as this, but they use no salt, 
as that they think makes them sticky when cooked. 

Soup-bunch. — This is a bunch of young onions or leeks, carrots, and various 
herbs to be found in the market in most large places, such as green sage, thyme, 
marjoram, etc.; celery-tops are sometimes included. The onions, carrots and 
other vegetables can be cut in pieces for the soup, but the herbs are best folded 
in thin muslin and taken out after 10 minutes' simmering in the soup. 

Soup-Bouquet. —A bouquet of herbs for flavoring soups and sauces is much 
used by foreign cooks, and is made of a few sprigs of parsley, thyme, celery 
leaves, 1 or 2 leaves of sage and a bay leaf. This may be folded in a small square of 
tarlatan or other thin cloth, and wound with a thread. This can be put in the 
soup for a little time, and all removed without trouble when the soup is served. 
Thickening for Soup.— Clear soup may be thickened with a little corn-starch, 
and still preserve its transparency. For brown soups, browned flour is much 
better than the raw for thickening. Put into a small sauce-pan % lb. of butter, 




SOUPS. 55 

and when hot, stir into it 2 cups of flour. Stir this over the fire till it is a pale 
brown, taking care that it does not burn. One large tablespoon thickens a quart 
of soup. 

Flour, arrowroot, bread-crumbs, sago, rice, oatmeal, barley, macaroni and 
vermicelli are all put into soup to thicken it. They all have this in common, 
that the soup must actually boil to burst the starch granules after they are 
added. Floury substances must be mixed smooth with a little cold water, milk 
or broth, before being added to the bulk of the broth. Eggs, when added, should 
be beaten, mixed with a little of the warm liquid, strained into the'soup, and not 
afterwards allowed to boil, lest they harden in tiny lumps, or what is popularly 
called " curdle." The yolk is better to use than the white. "Body" may be 
given to soup by adding a little cold potato, grated, and mashed potato is some- 
times added, mixed smooth with a little milk. Flour can be cooked in a little 
butter and then added, which is probably better than first mixing it in cold 
water as above. Barley, when added, should be soaked over night, and then 
stirred in an hour before the soup is done. With rice, use 1 tablespoon to 1 
quart of soup, and add it about 30 minutes before it is done. Farina can be 
sprinkled in a short time before serving, allowing it to boil a little while. 

Caramel for Soup. — Put a teaspoon of sugar in a frying-pan and place on the 
stove; let it dissolve and brown, but not burn. When it has turned a bright 
golden color and begins to smoke, add water enough to cover the bottom of the 
pan; let it boil up and dissolve the caramel; then pour into the soup for coloring 
and flavor. This is not to be used in any white soup. If you have prepared cara- 
mel on hand, use that. See our recipe given elsewhere for preparing it. 

Browned Crackers. — These are a fine addition to soups, and are good for in- 
valids with tea or coffee. The crackers are first split and a little butter spread 
on the halves; they are then placed on a baking tin, with the split and buttered 
side up; set them in a hot oven, on the top shelf, and they are done when of a 
delicate yellowish brown. They need watching very closely, to prevent scorch- 
ing. They are delicious with soups, fish chowder and oyster stews. 

Egg-Balls for Soup.— Powder some hard-boiled yolks of egg, and add suf- 
ficient raw yolk to make the mixture into a paste that can be rolled; add some 
pepper, salt, a little finely-chopped parsley, and a "suspicion" of nutmeg; roll 
into balls the size of marbles. Dip the balls into flour and throw them into boil- 
ing water till they are set; then drain them and throw them into the soup before 
serving. They can also be used to garnish entrees. 

Virginia Flavoring. — Take thyme, mint, sweet marjoram, and rosemary gath- 
ered in full perfection; pick from the stalks, put them in a large jar, pour on 
strong vinegar, and let stand 24 hours; then take out the herbs, throw in fresh 
bunches, and do this 3 times; then strain the liquor, put it in bottles, cork and 
seal tight. Do not let the herbs stay in more than 24 hours at one time, else a 
bitter, unsavory taste may be imparted. What is wanted, is just the delicate first 
flavor which comes from steeping the herbs in the liquid. It makes a delicious 
flavor for soups and sauces. 



VEGETABLE SOUPS. 

Almond Soup. — Blanch and pound finely 1 pound of sweet almonds, and the 
hard boiled yolks of 4 eggs; beat these well together, and add to a gallon of hot 
stock; let it come to boiling and stir constantly; thicken with bits of butter 
rolled in flour, and just before serving, add salt to taste, and a coffee cup of rich 
cream. Have the Whites of the eggs cut in small pieces in the tureen, pour over 
it the hot soup and serve. 

Asparagus Soup. — Break off all that is tender from a bundle of fresh, green 
asparagus, and put this in a large pan, with a large handful of freshly gathered 
spinach, 1 of parsley, and the same of spring onions. Wash in 2 waters and drain 
in a sieve; then boil in 2 quarts of water, with a bit of butter and a little salt. 
As soon as the asparagus is done, rub all through a fine colander and return to 



56 S0U1»S. 

the pot; then add a piece of butter the size of a small egg (cut in bits and rolled 
in flour), a teaspoon of sugar, and a sprinkle of white pepper. Serve hot with 
croutons. 

Barley Soup.— Scald 10 tablespoons of pearled barley; drain, cover with fresh 
boiling water, and boil 3 hours. Scald a quart of rich, sweet milk and add to the 
barley when done, Season with salt and pepper to taste. Beat the yolks of 10 
eggs to a foam and put in the soup-tureen; pour over the barley soup and serve. 

Bean Soup. — Soak 1 cup of white beans over night; in the morning boil until 
quite tender; then rub through a colander, and add 3 pints of water and 1 
quart of rich milk, 2 tablespoons of butter, 3 large potatoes chopped fine; season 
with finely cut parsley, pepper and salt to taste. Simmer about "% hour, and 
serve hot. 

Lima Bean Soup. — Put a quart of dried Lima beans in a saucepan; cover "with 
boiling water and boil slowly 1 hour; drain and pass through a colander. Scald 
a pint of milk and add to the beans. Soak a pint of dried Lima beans over night; 
turn off the water in the morning, and put on the fire to boil slowly for 2 hours, 
with 3 pints of water; then rub through a colander. Put in the kettle again and 
add a pint of milk or cream, and thicken with a lump of butter rolled in flour. 
"When it boils, add the beaten yolks of 2 eggs. Season with pepper and salt, and 
serve with a roll at each plate. 

Bean Porridge. — Soak over night a quart of any kind of good beans, such as 
are used for baking; boil them the next morning in plenty of water, until they 
begin to break in pieces; then drain, and add them to any good broth of fresh or 
salted meat, with a few slices of salt pork cut in dice. Cook and stir them often, 
until they are all broken fine. This is a most nutritious soup to keep constantly 
on hand in winter, when milk is scarce; it is inexpensive, for the broth of all salted 
meats and "boiled dinners" can be used in preparing it. It is more easily diges- 
ted than baked beans, being less concentrated food. Of this soup it was said in 

"olden times:" 

"Bean porridge hot, bean porridge cold, 
Bean porridge is the best when nine days old." 

Cabbage Soup. — Cut a small cabbage in quarters; carefully take apart and 
wash; then chop finely. About l / 2 hour before dinner, add it to 2 quarts of stock, 
or broth, in which meat has been boiled; let it boil until dinner time, when the 
cabbage will be done. Serve with toasted bread. 

Carrot Soup (a la Cressy). — Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into the 
frying-pan, and when melted, add 1 large onion cut finely, a slice of ham cut in 
little squares, a teacup of chopped celery and 10 grated carrots. Stew over 
the fire until the vegetables begin to brown, then add 2 quarts of stock, and sim- 
mer for 2 hours. Rub all through the coarse colander, put back into the kettle 
to re-heat, and season with pepper and salt. Serve with a few dice of toasted 
bread in the tureen. This is good made with 3 pints of water, adding a pint of 
milk or cream when it is re-heated. 

Celery Soup.— Break apart, and carefully clean 2 bunches of celery; then 
cut it finely and boil in just water enough to cover it, until it is sufficiently cooked 
and soft enough to rub through a coarse colander; scald 3 pints of milk and add 
to the celery, and the water in which it was boiled, with half a small onion cut 
finely if liked; then rub together a tablespoon each of butter and flour and stir 
it in the boiling soup, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with strips 
of toasted bread without butter, or with browned crackers. 



SOUPS. 5? 

Celery Cream Soup.— Take 3 lbs. veal, and let it simmer slowly in 2 quarts of 
water till reduced one-half; when cold it will make a jelly-like white stock. 
Take some celery, cut the best parts small, and cook it until tender in this stock; 
now put it through a colander first, and then through a coarse sieve, and it will 
make a kind of paste; return this to the saucepan, add 2 pints of cream, season 
with pepper and salt, and let it simmer 10 minutes, stirring it often. It is 
excellent. 

Green Corn Soup.— Grate sweet-corn from 6 ears, and boil the cobs in 
sufficient water to cover them; remove them after 10 minutes boiling, and use 
the water in which they are boiled to stew the grated corn; just before it is time 
to serve, add 1 quart of rich, sweet milk, letting it boil a few minutes. Season 
well with pepper and salt. 

Cucumber Soup. — Peel the cucumbers (they must be young enough to have 
small, fine seeds) and put in a kettle to boil in a pint of water; when soft, rub 
through a fine colander and return to the kettle, with a little onion if liked, and 
seasoning to taste. Add enough sweet milk to make a quart; when hot, add a 
little corn-starch, or arrowroot to thicken it, and serve with toasted bread. 

FLEMISH SOUP. 

5 heads of celery. 2 small onions. 10 medium-sized potatoes. 

1 pint of cream. 2 quarts of -water. 

Slice the onions, celery and potatoes, and put them in a stew-pan, with just 
sufficient water to cover them, and stew them until they can be rubbed through 
a fine colander. Return to the kettle with the water, and let it boil up; season 
with salt and white pepper, or a little curry powder; have the cream scalding hot, 
in a pitcher standing in hot water, and add to the soup just before serving. If 
onion is disliked, 2 small carrots may be substituted for the onions. This is an 
economical soup, and excellent. Make % the quantity if desired. 

Okra or Gumbo Soup. — The foundation for this should be stock, or broth 
made of a chicken, or, what is better even for any chicken soup, an old fowl. 
Carefully pluck, draw, singe and wash the fowl; cut it in pieces, cover with cold 
water, put on to boil up, skim, and then place the kettle where it will slowly 
cook. A little salt may be added if the fowl is young, but if old, simmer for an 
hour before adding the salt. When the fowl is done, take up the breast, thighs 
and legs, which can be served with a sauce for dinner, or made into salad; then 
slowly cook the remainder of the fowl to "rags," after adding pepper, a little 
sweet herbs, and a trifle of cayenne, and an even teaspoon of powdered sassafras 
leaves. Strain through the fine colander and return to the kettle. Add a few 
slices of salt pork, if the fowl was lean, then wash and slice a quart of green okra 
and add to the soup; cook until the pork and okra are done. Serve with boiled 
rice, boiled onions and rolls or bread. Good and inexpensive. 

Italian Soups. — These are made by adding to hot stock, either macaroni, 
vermicelli, semolina, or other Italian pastes. They should be boiled for 10 or 15 
minutes in water to cOver them, before adding them to the stock. Macaroni and 
vermicelli should be cut in short pieces about half an inch long, before being 
added to soup. 

Julienne Soup. — For a soup to serve for 5 or 6 persons, take 2 or 3 middling-sized 
carrots (only the red parts), a middling-sized turnip, a piece of celery-root, the 
core of a lettuce, some sorrel leaves, an onion, the white of half a leek. Rasp, 
peel or pluck these vegetables according to their nature; wash, drain them, and 



58 SOUPS. 

mince them to "Julienne," that is, cut them in thin fillets about an inch long; 
carrots, turnips, celery and leek, all in equal lengths. Fry the onion and leek in 
a little butter, then add the carrots, turnips and celery, raw if tender, if not, 
blanch them. Season with salt and a little sugar, and add 2 quarts of good stock. 
Let it simmer for % of an hour before serving. 

Mock Bisque Soup. — Take ^ can of tomatoes, cook until tender, and strain; 
cook 2 pints milk in a double boiler, and in a small sauce-pan cook 2 teaspoons of 
corn-starch and 1 tablespoon of butter, adding enough of the hot milk to make it 
pour easily; now stir this into the boiling milk carefully, and boil about 10 min- 
utes. Cut 4 tablespoons of butter in small pieces and add it, mixing it well, and 
add also the strained tomatoes, % saltspoon of white pepper, and 1 teaspoon of 
salt; serve hot. Before straining the tomatoes, if they are very acid, % saltspoon 
of soda will improve them, by neutralizing the acid. 

Mushroom Soup. — Cut a hip of veal in rather large pieces, and break the 
bones; allow to each pound a little less than a quart of water. Season with salt, 
pepper, and J£ dozen blades of mace. Boil until the meat falls to pieces; then 
strain into a clean soup-pot. Have ready a quart of mushrooms, peeled and di- 
vested of their stems; put them into the soup, adding % pound of butter divided 
into bits, each bit rolled in flour. Boil until the mushrooms are tender; keep 
closely covered; have toasted bread in small pieces in the soup-tureen, and pour 
the soup over it. 

Noodle Soup. — Beat the yolks of 2 eggs until light; add flour and a little salt. 
Mould very stiff, then roll thin, and cut in narrow strips, about an inch long. 
Put in boiling water for 10 minutes, then in cold water for 3 minutes. Add this 
to 3 pints of hot stock. 

Onion Soup. — Use 1 medium-sized onion. Put a piece of butter the size of an 
egg into a sauce-pan, or spider, and slice the onion into it. Let it fry until a 
delicate brown. Put in 1 quart of stock or hot water, with herbs if liked, salt, 
white pepper, and a dust of cayenne. Strain into the tureen, add 3 crackers, 
halved and well toasted, and send to the table. 

Palestine Soup. — Peel and slice a quart of Jerusalem artichokes, 4 onions and 
1 head of celery. Have 3 pints of water in the soup-kettle, or white veal stock 
or broth; add the vegetables, with pepper, salt, a bit of butter and a teaspoon of 
sugar. When done, rub through the fine colander, and return to the kettle to 
keep hot; add a pint of cream, and send to the table hot, with croutons. 

Canadian Pea Soup. — Put a quart of whole hard peas, or split peas, in 2 quarts 
of cold soft water, and set on the fire in the morning. Let it boil, and as soon as 
the peas begin to soften, mash with a long-handled iron spoon, as much 
as possible, and skim off the skins as they rise to the top of the kettle. About 10 
o'clock add to the peas a pound or more of salt pork, and if liked, a small onion 
cut finely. Boil together until noon, then take out the pork, add a little salt if 
needed, and a bowlful of bread, finely shaved from the loaf, which thickens the 
soup and prevents the peas from settling to the bottom of the tureen. This is a 
most nutritious and palatable soup. The pork can be served in thin slices, with 
vegetables, and chili sauce, or sour baked apples. 

Green Pea Soup.— Into the broth in which a leg of lamb has been boiled, put 
the shells of a quart of tender young peas; let them boil in the broth for J£ 
hour, then strain out the shells and put in the peas to boil 20 minutes longer. 
Serve with any " soup-addition " liked. 



soups. m 

Potato Soup. — Slice 6 large potatoes and boil until tender; mash fine and rub 
through a colander into the soup-kettle; add 2 quarts of sweet milk. When it 
comes to boiling, add noodles already boiled in salted water. Season the soup to 
taste, and serve. 

Pumpkin Soup. — Peel the pumpkin and cut into pieces (removing the seeds). 
Put it into boiling water with some salt, and leave it to boil until reduced to a 
pulp thin enough to pass through a strainer. Melt a piece of butter- in a sauce- 
pan with a wine-glass of cream. Strain the pulp and add, with salt and pep- 
per to taste, and a pinch of flour. Let the whole simmer % hour, thicken with 
the yolk of an egg, and serve. 

Rice Soup. — Put a piece of butter the size of an egg and 1 cup of bread 
crumbs in a skillet, and fry them as thoroughly brown as possible without burn- 
ing. When sufficiently browned, pour on 3 quarts of boiling water, and add a 
pint of rice, a head of finely cut celery, and a little salt. Stew all together until 
the rice is tender. Add a cup of rich milk or cream, and serve. Half the above 
quantity will serve a small family. 

Sago Soup. — Wash 5 oz. sago in warm water, set it in a saucepan with 2 quarts 
of milk, and simmer until the sago is thoroughly dissolved; season with pepper 
and salt, and add a cup of cream before serving. Good clear stock is generally 
used for both sago and tapioca soup, but they are even nicer made with milk. 

For Semolina, Macaroni and Vermicelli Soup, see " Italian Soups." 

French Sorrel Soup. — Take a large handful of garden sorrel; wash thoroughly, 
and cut finely with shears, and add some lettuce leaves and sweet herbs, also 
finely cut. Drain thoroughly on a sieve, then put them in a frying-pan with 
butter already melted, and fry, stirring with a spoon. After about 10 minutes of 
cooking in this way, put in the soup-kettle, with 2 quarts of boiling water, and 
add salt, white pepper, and bits of butter well rolled in flour. Serve rolls with 
the soup; hard boiled eggs, sliced into the tureen, are an addition much liked. 

Tapioca Soup. — Made like sago soup, which see, only the tapioca must be 
soaked for at least % hour in warm water before being put into the milk. 

Tomato Soup. — Put 1 quart of tomatoes in 1 quart of boiling water and let 
them cook thoroughly; set 1 quart of milk in a pitcher or tin, into a kettle or pan 
of hot water to scald. When the tomatoes are done, add a teaspoon of soda, and 
when foaming ceases, add the hot milk with a generous lump of butter; salt and 
pepper to taste. Cream may be added instead of butter, and more milk and less 
water used if desired. Brown a few crackers, roll fine and add to the soup. Serve 
with small pieces of dry toast without butter. 

Tomato Soup No. 2. — One pint of canned tomatoes, or 4 raw ones, cut finely; 
add 1 quart of water and cook thoroughly; then add 1 teaspoon of soda, which 
causes it to foam. Immediately add 1 pint of sweet milk with a little salt and 
butter. When this boils, add 8 small crackers, rolled fine, and serve. 

Mock Turtle Soup. — Soak over night 1 quart of' black beans. The next day 
boil them in 4 quarts of water, until soft enough to rub through a colander; 
return them to the soup-kettle. Tie in a bit of strainer cloth (which must be 
perfectly clean) a bit each of thyme, parsley and summer savory; let it boil in 
the soup. Add butter the size of an egg, cut in bits and rolled in flour; also salt 
and pepper to taste. Cut the yolks of hard boiled eggs in quarters and add to 
the soup, with 2 sliced lemons. This is a good imitation of real turtle soup. 

Vegetable Marrow Soup. — Pare and cut in quarters a large vegetable marrow, 



60 SOUPS. 

and remove the seeds from it. Dissolve a slice of fresh butter in a stew pan, and 
put in the marrow with a little salt, pepper, a lump of loaf sugar and a little 
nutmeg. Stew in water to cover it until it will pass through the fine colander, 
or hair-sieve; then add enough scalding hot milk to make it the consistency of 
cream; serve with fried bread cut in the shape of small dice. 

Victoria Soup.— Wash and scald % pound of pearl barley; put it in the soup- 
pot with 3 pints of white veal stock, and simmer gently over a slow fire for 1% 
hours, by which time the barley will be nearly dissolved; remove % °f it to a 
small soup-pot, rub the remainder through a tammy or sieve, pour over the whole 
barley, add half a pint of cream, season with a little salt, stir it over the fire until 
hot, and serve. 

This soup may be made with rice, and these were the only soups eaten by 
Queen Victoria during the time Francatelli was chef in her household. 

White Soup. — White soup is in reality white sauce, only in larger quantities 
and not quite so strong. White soups, such as celery, cauliflower, Palestine, 
potato, vegetable marrow, have all the same basis, viz., reduced stock and boiling 
milk, and only differ as to which stewed vegetable is rubbed through the wire 
sieve and added. 

MEAT, POULTRY AND GAME SOUPS. 

Alma Mater Soup. — For this take a sheep's head and pluck. Have the head 
cut in several pieces with a cleaver, wash thoroughly in salted water and put in 
the soup-kettle with a gallon of water; cut the liver and heart in slices, and fry 
brown in a little butter, then add to the soup; simmer gently until the bones 
separate from the meat. At this stage take from the fire, and remove all the 
bones from the meat; cut the meat in very small pieces, and return to the kettle; 
fill in with hot water to keep the gallon, add 1 teacup of pearl barley; season 
with 4 cloves, pepper, salt, and a bunch of sweet herbs; cut finely 2 onions, 2 car- 
rots, 1 turnip, and cook untill the vegetables are done. Serve with forcemeat 
balls. 

Beef Soup. — Put 1 small beef bone in about 1 gallon of water; when it has 
simmered about 3 hours, add 4 potatoes, 2 turnips, 2 onions, and 2 tablespoons 
each of rice and barley; season with salt and white pepper, and boil 1 hour longer. 
Add 1 tablespoon of chopped celery just before serving. 

Bonne Femme Soup (Egg £owp).— When you have broth in which meat has 
been boiled, or poultry, even if thin and not transparent, a good soup may be 
made when eggs are plenty by boiling for 20 minutes, 4 eggs for every quart 
of broth. Throw the eggs in cold water, and shell them. Have the broth well 
strained, and put it back in the kettle. Cut the whites of the eggs in rings, and 
pulverize the yolks with a fork on a plate (they should be mealy with the 
boiling) and add whites and yolks to the broth, also a few bits of butter well 
rolled in flour. Do not boil after the egg mixture is put in the kettle. 

Bouillon.— For a party of 12, allow 6 pounds of beef cut finely, and 2 shin- 
bones of beef well broken. Put over the fire with 3 quarts of cold water, and 
bring to a boil. Skim thoroughly, and set back on the range to simmer slowly 
for 5 hours; then strain through the fine colander. Remove every particle of fat, 
which can be done by drawing the edge of blotting paper across the bouillon. 
After the fat is removed, return to the kettle and reheat. Season with pepper 



SOUPS. 61 

and salt, and serve in bouillon-cups (i. e., cups about the size of coffee-cups, with 
2 handles) when served at lunches. Cloudy bouillon is caused generally by 
rapid boiling and careless skimming. 

Clear Soup.— Cut 4 Bbs. lean beef into small pieces, carefully removing all the 
fat; pour on 1 gallon of water, and boil it up 3 times, skimming well each time; 
if not well skimmed, it will not be clear. Into each of 2 small onions stick 4 
cloves firmly, scrape 2 small carrots, and put them into the soup; add 6 blades of 
mace, 1 bunch of parsley and 1 teaspoon of celery seed, salt and pepper; boil un- 
til the vegetables are tender, strain through muslin, and return to the soup pot; 
add the whites of 4 eggs, well beaten, and boil until they gather to one side; skim, 
and tint it a delicate amber with a little caramel; wash the muslin, pour the soup 
through again, and serve. 

Chicken Soup. — This need not be made wholly of young spring chickens, for 
they are more valuable for roasting or broiling; but the remnants of raw chickens 
when used for fricassee or " chicken supreme," can be utilized in a soup, and if a 
large quantity of soup is needed, a few pounds of veal bones and cheap veal trim- 
mings may be simmered with the chicken, which will flavor them all. Let the 
soup-pot come to boiling; skim, and then set on the back of the range to slowly 
simmer for 3 or 4 hours, or until the meat drops from the bones. Season with 
salt and pepper, or a little curry powder instead of pepper, and a soup-bunch; 
then simmer 10 minutes longer, strain through the cloth strainer, and return to 
the kettle. Thicken with a little corn-starch, and color and flavor with caramel. 
Serve with oyster crackers. 

Chicken Soup No. 2. — Take the remnants of roasted chickens— the necks, 
wings, all the bones, and every part left from dinner the day previously; add wa- 
ter sufficient to cover it all; slowly simmer until the meat separates from the 
bones. Then add any gravy or remnants of dressing, and let it boil up once. 
For the remnants of 2 chickens there should be 3 pints of soup; strain through 
cheese-cloth or fine colander, put the soup back into the kettle, add more season- 
ing if needed; thicken with bits of butter well rolled in flour; boil up once, and 
serve immediately. 

Chicken and Gumbo. — Take a fair sized chicken, cut up as for fricassee, pick 
out the bones, and fry with % K>- finely chopped bacon. Add 1 gallon water, 2 
pints small okras, and the same of tomatoes; season highly with white pepper, 
salt and cayenne, and simmer 4 hours. Put 1 tablespoon of boiled rice in each 
plate before serving,; and pour the soup over it. 

Gumbo filet is made the same way, but seasoned more highly, and tender roots 
of young sassafras added. Green corn, cut from the cob, and lima beans are also 
added sometimes. 

CONSOMME. 

6 quarts of -water. 4 pounds of lean beef. 2 old fowls. 

2 carrots. 2 turnips. 2 onions. 

2 leeks. 1 bunch of herbs. 

Let it simmer slowly for 8 hours, or till it is reduced to 2 quarts. Observe the 
usual rule of skimming, straining and seasoning, and use for dainty appetites, 
with quenelles, or any garnish liked best. 

Duchess Soup.— Put a quart of rich stock, or consomme, on the range to heat; 
when it comes to boiling, thicken it with a tablespoon of arrowroot, and then 
pour it into the tureen containing neatly cut lengths of roasted poultry or game. 

Egg Soup.— Break 6 fresh eggs into a bowl; add a pint of sweet cream and a 



62 SOUPS. 

little white pepper and salt; beat the eggs well and add the cream; pour into a 
square tin well buttered, and place it in the oven in a dripping-pan of hot water, 
and bake about x /i hour. Let it get cold, then cut in small squares, put in the 
soup tureen, pour 2 quarts of hot stock, or broth, over it, and send it to the table. 
Milk may be used instead of stock. This soup is rich and may be served with 
hot toasted crackers when the dinner is otherwise light. 

Everyday Soup. — Go in the pantry in the morning and put into the soup- 
kettle all the nice meat bones, cold bits of meat, cold gravy, also any cooked vege- 
tables left the day before. Get ready the meat for dinner, and put the trimmings 
in the kettle. Season with a little salt, a few whole cloves, and a few pepper- 
corns broken in the mortar; add also a small onion cut finely. Put in the kettle 
enough water to serve each person with J^ pint of soup. Simmer all together 
until an hour before dinner; then strain and return to the kettle. Have ready, 
shredded, and standing in cold water, some vegetable, either cabbage, turnips, 
carrots, asparagus, green peas or spinach, and add to the soup. When the 
vegetable is done, serve with rolls or bread. 

Florence Soup. — Put on to heat, 3 pints of white stock, beef, veal or chicken 
broth, and add the yolks of 3 eggs well beaten, and a half pint of cream; boil 3 or 
4 sticks of macaroni in salted water for 10 minutes; cut in % inch pieces and add 
to the soup; have the bottom of the soup tureen covered with grated cheese, 
pour over the hot soup, and serve. 

Game Soup. — This can be made of a squirrel, wild duck, rabbit partridge, 
2 or 3 squabs (young pigeons) or any kind of game brought in in too small a 
quantity for serving in any other way, and is a good soup for an invalid, or small 
family. Dress the game by skinning, if a quadruped, or, by picking, if a fowl or 
bird. Draw, and wipe clean with a wet cloth. Cut in small pieces and boil 
slowly until the meat separates from the bones; then take out the bones and 
season with pepper and salt. Cut a piece of butter the size of an egg, in small 
bits, roll each bit in flour; add, and let it boil for % minute, and serve with thin 
slices of bread laid on the bottom of the tureen. 

Game soup can also be made by a recipe for stock, using game instead of beef 
or other meat. 

Hotch-potch Soup. — Soak % pi n t °f split peas over night, and add % teaspoon 
of soda to the water; the next morning, turn off the water and rinse again; then 
put them to boil in 2 quarts of water; boil slowly 2 or 3 hours; then add a pound 
of beef or mutton, cut in small pieces, a carrot, a turnip, a small cabbage, an 
onion, all cut finely, and 3 or 4 large slices of salt pork. Add salt and pepper to 
taste, and cook until the meat is done, keeping it just covered with water. This 
is fine in a cold day in the winter, and is an inexpensive dinner by itself, without 
other meat. 

Meat Broth. — Put the beef or mutton on in cold water and let it heat slowly; 
a scum will rise when it comes to the boiling point; remove this very carefully, 
then cover the pot, and keep it at a gentle simmer; from time to time lift the 
cover and skim till no more scum rises. Take out the meat when thoroughly 
cooked. Set the meat in the oven with the door of the oven open a little 
way to keep it warm. Have some thin slices of toasted bread well buttered, or 
some browned crackers in the tureen, and after pouring the broth through the 
cloth strainer, pour over the tureen and serve. Instead of the toast, a little 
chopped cabbage, boiled in a separate stew-pan, can be added, or any other 
vegetable liked. 



SOUPS. 63 

MUIXAGATAWNY SOUP. 

1 fowl or rabbit, or 2 lbs. of lean beef or veal. 2 large onions. Peel of 1 lemon. 

1 bunch of herbs. A bit of garlic (or 2 or 3 cloves). 

2 tablespoons of curry powder. 2 quarts of cold water. 

Cut the meat in small pieces and cover with the water; slice the onions, 

fry them brown in beef drippings, and put the onions, lemon peel, herbs, and 

cloves or garlic, with the meat, and simmer slowly for 5 hours, skimming well; 

then strain through the fine colander. Return to the kettle, add salt to taste and 

ground white pepper, and a teacup of rice. When the rice begins to break in 

pieces, add the juice of a lemon, and 2 tablespoons of curry powder. 

Mullagatawny means "pepper pot," and it is an Indian soup. It always requires to be 
well seasoned, and rice should be served with it. 

Mutton Broth. — Take 2 lbs. of what is known as the scrag-end of the neck of 
mutton; remove as much as possible every particle of fat. Put it in a quart of 
cold water, with a slice of onion and a saltspoon of salt. Let it simmer very 
gently for 3 or 4 hours; skim occasionally. Strain off the broth and allow it to 
cool. Take off all fat, and warm up when required. When not required for in- 
valids, some chopped parsley may be added to the broth, as well as other vege- 
tables, such as turnips, carrots, or leeks. 

Oxtail Soup. — {Rich beef soup). — Two shin-bones of beef well broken, and 2 
beef -tails cut in short pieces. Put in the soup-kettle with 3 quarts of water. 
Let it come to a boil and carefully skim; then slowly simmer until the meat will 
separate from the bones. Take out the meat and bones with a skimmer into a 
pan, and cut the meat in small pieces, putting back the bones to simmer until an 
hour before dinner; then take out the bones again and add a carrot, a small tur- 
nip, a small onion, all cut finely, with herbs, salt and pepper to taste, and if pre- 
ferred, a tablespoon of any of the ready-made meat sauces liked by the family. 
Fry the bits of meat a nice brown, in a little butter, and place in the bottom of 
the tureen; pour the soup and vegetables over the meat and send it to the table. 
Serve with rolls, bread, or toasted crackers. The ingredients of this soup may be 
all simmered together for 4 or 5 hours, then strained through the cloth strainer. 
A tablespoon of corn-starch in a little water may be added for thickening, and a 
tablespoon of caramel-sugar used for coloring. Sufficient for 8. 

Rabbit Soup. — Cut a young rabbit in small pieces and soak in water for an 
hour; then put in the soup-pot, and cook until the meat separates from the bones. 
Take all the best meat, and return the remainder to the kettle, with a carrot, 
turnip, onion, and 2 or 3 sticks of celery, all cut finely, with seasoning to taste, and 
simmer for 2 hours longer; then strain the soup and return to the kettle; add a 
piece of butter about the size of an English walnut, cut in pieces and rolled in 
flour, to thicken it. There should be 3 quarts of broth when done. Cut the 
meat in small pieces, put in the tureen, and pour over the hot rabbit soup. 

Turkey Soup. — After a turkey has been served for dinner and the meat has 
been taken from the carcass, break all the bones finely and put in the soup-ket- 
tle, with any remaining dressing or gravy, and add 3 quarts of water if the turkey 
was large — less for a small one. Let boil slowly for 2 or 3 hours; then pour 
through a coarse colander, and serve with toasted crackers. 

Mock Turtle Soup. — Scald a calf's head, and wash it clean. Boil in a large 
pot of water for half an hour, then cut all the skin off by itself; take the tongue 
out, take the broth made of a knuckle of veal, put in the tongue and skin, with 
an onion, % ounce each of cloves and mace ? % a nutmeg, all kinds of sweet herbs 



64 SOUPS. 

chopped fine, 3 anchovies; stew it till tender; then take out the meat, and cut it 
in pieces 2 inches square; cut the tongue, previously skinned, in slices; strain the 
liquor through a sieve. Melt % lb- butter in a stew-pan; put in J^ lb. flour; stir 
it till smooth; if at all lumpy, strain it; add the liquor, stirring it all the time; then 
put to the meat the juice of 2 lemons. Season with pepper, salt and cayenne 
pepper, pretty high; put in 5 meat balls, 8 eggs, boiled hard. Stew it 1 hour, 
gently. 

Teal Soup. — Into 4- quarts of water put a 3 lb. joint of veal, well broken, and 
set on the stove to boil. In a separate dish put % lb. of macaroni, with just wa- 
ter enough to cover it, and boil till tender; then add a little butter. Finally the 
soup should be strained, seasoned with pepper and salt, and afterwards add the 
macaroni and the water in which it was boiled. Many will find it an improve- 
ment to add 1 pint of cream, or rich milk, and celery flavor. 



FISH AND SHELL-FISH SOUPS. 

Bouillabaisse. — Any kind of fish may be used for this dish. Chop 2 onions, 
and put them with a piece of butter into a stew-pan and let them brown without 
burning. Then arrange the fish which has been previously cut into small pieces,, 
in the pan. Add a small quantity of the best olive oil, a clove of garlic, a bay- 
leaf, two slices of lemon, 2 tomatoes, and as much powdered saffron as will go on 
the point of a table-knife, and lastly the juice of the remainder of the lemon. 
Put in sufficient stock to cover the whole, and boil from 10 to 20 minutes, skim- 
ming carefully the whole time. When ready to serve, throw in a handful of 
chopped parsley. 

Bisque of Lobster. — Wash thoroughly with, a brush, a small lobster, then 
remove all the solid meat and put it on ice. Break finely the shell and claws of 
the lobster, and put it in the soup-kettle with enough water to cover it. Cut 
finely, and add a small carrot, 1 head of celery, and a very small onion or bit of 
garlic, with herbs, salt and white pepper, to taste. Boil 1 hour and then strain; 
put back in the kettle and add 3 pints of stock. Set it on the range where it 
will keep hot but not boil, as boiling causes it to curdle. Just before serving, 
cut the meat of the lobster in small pieces and fry brown in a little butter, and 
place in the bottom of the tureen. Add to the bisque the juice oi %& lemon, 
and a dust of cayenne pepper, and pour over the meat in the tureen. Serve with 
a French roll at each plate, or with browned crackers. 

Clam Soup. — Put 25 clams in boiling water for a few minutes. Then open 
them and save the liquor that comes from them; add to it an equal quantity of 
water, 1 tablespoon of minced parsley, 1 chopped onion, butter the size of an egg, 
cut in bits and rolled in flour; pepper and salt to taste, 2 well beaten eggs and 
the chopped clams, adding lastly 1 pint of milk. Boil 10 minutes. A very nice 
soup. (It is better to add the eggs to this soup the last thing before taking up, as 
the egg is apt to curdle, if boiled.) 

Newport Clam Chowder. — Wash the clams thoroughly with boiling water, 
and let them stand 10 minutes, when they can easily be removed from the shell. 
Cut off the black heads and put the bodies in a clean dish. For a peck of clams 
use 8 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thin, and % an onion cut in small pieces* 
Cut % pound of salt pork into small pieces and fry brown. Put the onion and 
potatoes into the kettle with the pork, with a tablespoon of salt, a little pepper 



SOUPS. 65 

and % a cup of flour shaken in; strain on this 4 quarts of the water in which the 
clams were scalded, and let all boil 15 minutes; then add the clams, 6 crackers 
split, % a cup of tomato sauce; cook 10 minutes longer, and serve. 

Salt Codfish Soup. — Take a piece of codfish the size of the hand, scald, skin, 
and pick in small pieces, and put in a kettle with a quart of water; soak, and 
change the water until it is fresh enough; then add 1 pint of cream and 1 pint of 
water and let it come to boiling. Serve it with buttered, toasted crackers. 

Fish Soup. — Take any kind of fresh fish liked best — about 2 pounds for 3 
quarts of water. Cut in small pieces and put in the soup-pot — skin, bones and 
all — with a large onion, sliced, a bunch of parsley, a sliced lemon, with a little salt 
and white pepper. Cook to rags; then strain through the cloth strainer, and re- 
turn to the kettle. Add a heaping tablespoon of corn-starch wet in half a teacup 
of water; let it come to boiling, and serve with quenelles, if desired. 

Fish Soup Maigre. — Take a fish that weighs about 2 pounds; cut enough slices 
for the frying-pan, and put the remainder, with the bones, in the soup-kettle, 
with an onion if liked, a sliced lemon, a bunch of parsley, salt, and white pepper. 
Simmer together for an hour; strain and return to the kettle, and add J£ pint 
of cream, and enough hot water to make 3 pints of soup. Fry the fish cutlets in 
butter, and add to the soup, or serve on a platter instead of meat on a fast-day. 
If the fish is not added to the soup, serve it with noodles. 

Oyster Soup. — Put a pint of small oysters with their liquor in a quart of boil- 
ing water and let them become plump; then take them out with a skim- 
mer, rinse thoroughly in warm water, and be sure there are no bits of 
shell adhering to them. Strain the soup-water through the cloth strainer 
and return to the kettle. Let it come to a boil, add a little white pepper 
and a very little cayenne, with a piece of butter the size of an egg, cut 
in bits and rolled in flour. Boil a minute after this, then pour over the oys- 
ters in the tureen and serve with small crackers, or large crackers split, and 
browned in the oven. A richer soup is made by leaving out one pint of water and 
substituting a pint of cream. 

Provencal Soup (Bouillabaisse). — Slice and shred 2 large onions and fry in 2 
tablespoons of salad-oil until the onions are quite yellow; then add a desert-spoon 
of Spanish sweet red pepper, a little salt and a quart of good stock, or water; boil 
together for 3 minutes; then add small slices of any kind of fish most agreeable or 
convenient; boil these for a few minutes and serve the bouillabaisse with the 
crusts of a round French roll fried in a little oil and butter. The slices of fish 
may be removed to a platter, covered with one of the fish sauces, and served as a 
course separate from the soup. 
5 



FISH. 

Fish has been an important article of food in all ages and in all countries. 
Although less nourishing and stimulating than meat, it has much nutritive value. 
Its abundance and cheapness commend it, and it should be used freely in the 
season when it is best and cheapest. The flesh of fish when in season, i. e., before 
spawning, is solid and boils firm and curdy. It should be used as fresh as pos- 
sible, as it soon spoils. White fleshed fish are the most easily digested, and the 
oily varieties, like mackerel, salmon and eels, are the most difficult of digestion. 
White fleshed fish is the most delicate, and the red fleshed and oily kinds the 
most nourishing. Fish is highly nitrogenous, and requires an abundant use of 
starchy food in combination with it, to supply a sufficient amount of heat-giving 
material; and, owing to the lack of oil in the white fleshed varieties, they are best 
cooked in fat. Lemon juice or vinegar (being acid) are excellent as an accom- 
paniment, or in the sauces, for fish and shell-fish, because of the alkaline nature 
of their juices. It is essential to the wholesomeness of fish that they should be 
thoroughly cleaned and cooked. 

The popular idea that fish aid brain and nervous development because of the phospho- 
rus they contain is wholly erroneous. There is no relation between the amount of phos- 
phorus passing through the system and the intensity of thought. It is not because of the 
phosphorus they contain that fish, oysters and eggs, are suitable for students, but because 
they are easily digested, and those leading sedentary lives do not need the hearty food 
suited to a day-laborer, besides which they are adapted to those on whose nervous energies 
there are large drains because of the large amount of nitrogenous material which they con- 
tain. It should also be said that fish contains no larger per cent, of phosphorus than meat. 

The following table will show the chemical composition of some of the com- 
mon varieties of fish and shell-fish. The large percentage of albumenoids found 
in black bass, salt codfish, smoked haddock, canned sardines, etc., will be noticed, 
and the large percentage of fats in eels, salt mackerel, smoked halibut and sal- 
mon. Note also the difference in the potential energy in pickerel and salt mack- 
erel. The lack of carbohydrates (i. e., starch, sugar, etc.) which is common to all 

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF POOD ELEMENTS IN VARIOUS FISH. 



fater. 


Albumen- 
oids. 
%.. 


Fats. 

%. 


Mineral 
Matters. 

%. 


Potential 
energy in 

IB. 
Calories. 


76.7 


20.4 


1.7 


1.2 


450 


78.5 


19.0 


1.2 


1.3 


405 


82.6 


15.8 


0.4 


1.3 


310 


53.6 


21.4 


0.4 


1.6 


410 


71.6 


19.3 


9.1 


1.0 


725 


84.2 


13.9 


0.6 


1.3 


285 


81.7 


16.8 


0.3 


1.2 


325 


72.5 


23.7 


0.2 


1.5 


450 


76.4 


18.3 


5.2 


1.1 


560 


49.4 


20.6 


15.1 


2.0 


1020 


69.0 


18.5 


11.0 


1.6 


810 


73.4 


18.2 


7.1 


1.3 


640 


42.2 


22.1 


22.6 


2.5 


1365 


79,7 


18.6 


0.5 


1.2 


365 


63.6 


21.6 


13.4 


1.4 


965 


61.9 


20.1 


15.7 


1.3 


1035 


56.4 


25.3 


12.7 


5.6 


1005 


77.7 


19.0 


2.1 


1.2 


440 


69.8 


22.1 


6.5 


1.6 


685 


85.8 


8.6 


1.0 


2.6 


240 


81.8 


14.6 


1.9 


1.7 


350 


77.7 


18.7 


1.1 


2.6 


395 


87.1 


6.1 


1.2 


2.0 


230 


70.8 


25.6 


1.0 


2.6 


620 


74.5 


21.0 


3.5 


1.0 


640 



Bass, black 

Blue fish 

Codfish, fresh 

Codfish, salted (Salt 23%) 

Eel, salt water 

Flounder 

Haddock , 

Haddock, smoked 

Halibut, fresh 

Halibut, smoked 

Herring, fresh 

Mackerel, fresh 

Mackerel, salted (salt 10.6%). 

Pickerel 

Salmon, fresh 

Salmon, canned 

Sardines, canned 

Trout, brook 

Whitefish 

Clams (Carbohydrates 2.0$), 

Lobsters 

Lobsters, canned 

Oysters (Carbohydrates 3.6%) 

Shrimps 

Terrapin 



(66) 



FISH. 6? 

fish, makes apparent the wisdom of accompanying them with starchy foods, like 
potatoes, etc., to supply the system with the food elements which they lack. For 
an explanation of the terms " albumenoids," " carbohydrates," " potential energy " 
and " Calories," see our article elsewhere on the composition of foods. 

Cleaning Fish. — Fish should be cleaned as soon as possible after being caught. 
Make an incision in the under side from the gills half way down, and take out 
the insides; carefully remove the thin black membrane lining the cavity, as it is 
apt to impart a bitter flavor to the whole fish if it is left. It is best to remove the 
white part adhering to the bone, called the sound, although some people leave it. 
Do not cut off the tail and head if it is to be served whole. Scrape from the tail 
towards the head to remove the scales; take out the eyes, and wash in strongly 
salted water; dry carefully, and wrap a cloth sprinkled with salt around it, and 
keep near the ice. The salt checks the outflow of the juices. Handle the fish as 
little as possible, and do not wash it too much (one water is usually enough) and 
do not let the fish soak in the water, as that will extract the juices and detract 
from its value. Keep fish in a cool place near the ice, but do not let ice touch it, 
as that will soften and injure, if it does not spoil it. Do not keep fish in the ice 
chest, as it will taint anything like milk or butter. Keep any fish left after the 
meal in the same way. 

To Skin a Fish. — Cut a narrow strip along the backbone, using a sharp knife, 
and removing the fin on the back; then run up the knife through and under the 
bony part of the gills and peel the skin off backwards toward the tail, holding the 
bony part of the gills with the thumb and finger; then peel off the skin from the 
other side in the same manner, and throw it away. 

To Bone a Fish. — Fish, like herring and shad, abounding in fine bones, are 
not boned, but whitefish, mackerel, cod, etc., can be boned as follows: Clean, 
skin and spread it out flat on a board; then begin at the tail, and run a sharp, 
thin knife under the flesh, close to the bone, and loosen the backbone with the 
forefinger. Take pains not to break the flakes, and when the flesh on one side is 
loosened, slip the knife under the bone on the other; when all the bone is loos- 
ened, pull it from the flesh. Any small bones remaining in the flesh can be 
felt and removed with the fingers. 

Fillets of Fish. — These are the flesh of fish cut into small pieces, egged, bread- 
crumbed, and fried. The fish for fillets should be skinned and boned. 

Hints. — The earthy taste in fresh water fish can be removed by sprinkling on 
salt and leaving it on a few hours, or over night, before cooking. 

If fish are dipped in hot water for a minute, they will scale much easier. To 
remove scales, there is no instrument equal to a currycomb — it is everyway 
superior to a knife. The scales and entrails should be removed, and also the 
blood and white skin along the backbone, as soon after the fish is caught as 
possible; then rinse, wipe dry, and keep near ice. Keep the eggs, or fish roe, and 
cook it with the fish. 

All fish loose nourishing power by being salted. The quickest and best way 
to freshen salt fish is to soak it in sour milk. 

Salted fish and canned fish, oysters, lobsters, etc., can be kept in the store- 
room against an emergency, but great care must be taken in the case of canned 
meats, fish, lobsters, and vegetables, that the brands selected are put up in pure 
tin cans; a mixture of lead with the tin is sometimes used, the oxide of which is 
poisonous. All the contents of a tin can when opened should be immediately 
removed into an earthen or glass dish, as oxydization proceeds rapidly after the 
can is opened, and the inside, with its contents, exposed to the action of the air. 

The knives and spoons used about fish should not be used for other food till 
well cleaned, as they will impart a fishy flavor to it. Rub steel knives or forks 
with fresh lemon or orange peel to take off the fishy taste. 

Broiling a fish best retains its nourishing qualities; baking is next, while 
boiling retains the least — in fact, boiling is the least desirable way of cooking 
them. Small fish are usually fried; those of medium size broiled and baked, and 
the largest can be boiled. 

To thaw out frozen fish, put it in cold water, and leave it until it is flexible and 
the frost is all drawn out; then dress and cook at once. 

Fish, if kept near ice and very cold, retains much of its freshness, but if once 
heated, its delicate flavor cannot be restored. Fish that is not quite fresh can be 



FISH. 



improved by washing in vinegar and water, or permanganate of potash and water. 
It is afterwards better fried than boiled, but no dressing will entirely conceal its 
quality. Fish purchased in the market should be used the same day if possible. 

The garnishing of fish is an art, if nicely done. Celery tops, horseradish, 
common radishes, water-cresses, parsley, nasturtium flowers, sliced lemons and 
red pickled beets, cut in fanciful shapes, are among the most effective and popu- 
lar things to use. 

Frying, Boiling, etc. — As the directions for frying, boiling, stewing, broiling 
and baking fish apply to nearly all kinds, we will give these methods quite fully, 
instead of describing the same method over and over again for each different 
kind of fish. Any one who masters the process, can easily cook any fish adapted 
to that way of cooking. 

To Boil Fish.— When boiling fish, to have the water bubble is worse than 
useless, as it cracks the skin. If fish is put into cold water at first, it, like meat, 
gets dry (see our article on the principles involved in cooking meat). A compro- 
mise is therefore made, and salt is added to the water (use about 1 oz. of salt to 
each quart of water); it is well also to add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon 
juice to each 2 quarts of water. Vinegar or lemon juice are valuable because 
albumen coagulates sooner when in contact with an acid, and they thus help to 
coagulate the surface albumen, and so retain the juices inside. Salt added to 
the water in which fish is cooked acts in 3 ways, as explained in the article on 

cooking meats. The old 
plan has been to put fish 
into cold water at first, 
but it is much better to 
put it into water as hot 
as the skin will bear with- 
out breaking, and this 
varies with each kind of 
fish. To break the skin 
is very undesirable, be- 
cause it not only makes 
an unsightly appearance, 
but each crack makes an 
opening through which the interior juices will escape. If a fish kettle is used, 
and a fish plate that can be taken up, there is no need of a cloth around the fish, 
but if it has to be boiled in a common kettle, it should be rolled in a piece of 
cloth (butter cloth is best) to keep it in shape, and it is likely to be broken when 
taken from the water, if the cloth is not used. Allow the fish to simmer, or boil 
slowly and gently, or the outside will break into pieces before the inside is done. 
If water is to be added, do not pour it directly on the fish, as that is apt to break 
the skin; pour it gently in on one side of the kettle. Too long boiling makes fish 
"woolly" and tasteless. The time of cooking depends entirely on the freshness 
and thickness of the fish, and varies so much that no rule can be given; experi- 
ence is the only guide. There are 3 reliable tests by which it can be ascertained 
if fish has been sufficiently cooked: First, if the fins will pull out easily; second, if 
the skin of the fish is cracked; or, third, if a skewer passes easily when run into 
the fish close to the bone. Fish should always be put into the water in which 
it is to be cooked; if the water is poured upon it, it is apt to become broken. It 
should not be allowed to remain in the water after it is done; if it has to be kept 
hot ? it should be taken up on a drainer, placed across the fish-kettle over the 




A PTSH KETTLE. 



fish. 69 

tot water, and covered with a soft cloth or flannel folded several times, to prevent 
its losing its color. White fish cook much more rapidly than meat. Fish 
should be well cooked to be digestible, but should not be overdone. The reason 
for skimming is, that the scum will be likely to settle on the fish if that is not 
done, and give it an unsightly appearance. Save the liquor in which fish has 
been boiled, as it makes an excellent soup with a few cheap additions. 

Boiling is the least desirable way of cooking fish, but salmon is not injured by 
boiling because it is so oily. All boiled fish should have a good sauce served 
with it. Hollandaise and sauce piquante go well with salmon, and oyster, lob- 
ster, shrimp, drawn butter, egg, pickle, etc., with other fish. Serve the sauce in 
a sauce-boat, unless the fish breaks and looks badly, in which case the bones can 
be taken out, the fish flaked, piled on a platter lightly, and the sauce poured over 
it. Garnish boiled fish with slices of lemon or hard-boiled eggs, parsley, button 
mushrooms, fried oysters, sliced pickles, Saratoga potatoes, etc. 

Steamed Fish. — An excellent way to cook fish is to thoroughly clean, remove 
the head, skin and tail, rub with salt and lemon juice, and cook in a steamer over 
boiling water, instead of boiling it in the water. In many respects it is better 
than boiling. When done, serve on a platter on which a folded napkin is laid, 
pile Saratoga potatoes around it, and garnish with parsley, slices of lemon, and 
hard boiled egg. Serve a good sauce in a sauce-boat with it. 

To Broil Fish. — Large fish need a moderate fire so as not to burn the outside 
before the inside is done; they are best split, in order to cook them through well, 
or else make notches at equal distances on the sides to admit the heat. Small 
fish need a clear hot fire, and may be cooked whole. Salt and pepper is all that 
need be applied to oily fish before broiling them, but olive oil or butter should be 
first spread over dry, white fish. The gridiron should always be well greased. As 
the skin burns easily, the flesh side should be cooked first to a golden brown; 
then turn and broil the skin side until it is crisp; small fish will cook in 10 min- 
utes, and larger ones need 15 to 20. A double wire gridiron is easily turned, but 
the best way when an old-style iron or a single gridiron is used, is to take a knife 
and separate any part that sticks; then with one hand hold a platter over the 
fish, and with the other, turn over the gridiron; the fish will then be on the plat- 
ter and can easily be returned to the gridiron without breaking. When done, 
sprinkle on salt and pepper, and, using a knife, spread a little butter over it, and 
then put it in the oven a moment to let it soak in. All oily fish, like mackerel, 
herring, etc., are better broiled than fried. 

The pieces of fish are sometimes wrapped in a piece of oiled paper before being 
broiled, when very delicate broiling is desired. The paper must be very thor- 
oughly oiled or buttered, but no oil should drop on the fire, and a very clear fire 
is needed. A gridiron that has cooked fish needs most thorough cleaning. 

To Fry Fish.— By frying fish we mean immersing it in hot fat. The fish 
should be well cleaned, dried with a soft cloth, and seasoned with pepper and 
salt; then rub it with flour, dip it in beaten egg, and then sprinkle with fine 
bread or cracker crumbs; sometimes wheat flour or Indian corn meal are used, 
but fully cover the fish so that there are no cracks. Then fry it in smoking hot 
fat as directed elsewhere under "The Processes of Cooking." It should be fried 
a rich golden brown. A sheet of white paper can be placed to receive it after it 
is fried, that it may be free from all grease. Some cooks lay it in the oven for a 
moment, and then serve. A very little time is all that is needed to cook it (from 
2 to 5 minutes) if the fat is the right temperature; a general mistake is to over- 
cook it. Do not fry oily fish, like mackerel, salmon, etc. Halibut, cod, etc., can 



io Pirn. 

be skinned, boned, and cut into small pieces, and then fried. Fish which is very 
cold should be slightly warmed first, or it will chill the fat and become greasy. 
Fish thus fried is nicer than by the common method of frying in a frying-pan; 
try it once, if you never have. 

Fish is also sometimes fried in batter. The fish should be dried, seasoned 
with pepper and salt, dipped in the batter, and quickly put into the hot fat. The 
batter must be smooth and thick. As soon as the batter is of a bright golden 
color, take it out, and if the fish is thick, put it in the oven for a few minutes. 
The fat is more than 100° hotter than boiling water, and the inside part of what- 
ever is cooked in it goes on cooking after it is taken out of the fat. 

For sauteing or frying in the frying-pan, butter is not desirable, as it 
scorches too easily and gives a bad odor to any fish that requires long cooking. 
Small brook-trout, however, are sometimes cooked in butter in the frying-pan. 
For ordinary sized pan -fish, or slices of large fish, the fat from a few thin slices 
of salt pork is excellent; the thin scraps of fried pork are used with other gar- 
nishing, around the fish on the platter. 

Fried fish can be garnished with parsley, lemon, pickle, etc., and served with 
any acid sauce, like tomato or tartare. Small fish should be arranged with heads 
and tails alternating. Arrange fillets in a circle, one overlapping the other. 

Baked Fish. — Clean, dry, and stuff the fish with one of the stuffings given 
below, and sew it. Long, narrow fish bake best if a trussing needle is run 
through the side of the head, then the middle of the body, and then the tail, in 
such a way as to form the fish into the shape of a letter S; it will then rest on its belly 
while baking, instead of on its side. Shad or other short, broad fish, may be 
propped up on their bellies with peeled potatoes, or pieces of old bread. In order 
to lift the fish out easily when done, it is best to put the fish on an iron or tin 
baking sheet, with handles at the ends, and set that in the baking pan; if you 
have no such baking sheet, 2 broad strips of cotton cloth can be used to lift the 
fish out with, laying the cloth across the pan before putting in the fish. Grease 
the baking sheet well with salt pork fat, to keep the fish from sticking, and put 
some pieces of pork under the fish also. Sprinkle it over with salt and pepper, 
rub on soft butter, and put narrow strips of pork in gashes cut across the back of 
the fish about 2 inches apart. Dredge it well with flour, and bake in a hot oven 
until nicely browned, basting it often to prevent the skin from cracking. Some 
cooks put a little water in the baking pan, but it is better not to do so, but use 
the pork fat to baste with. When done, lift it carefully and put it on a hot 
platter, take out the trussing needle or threads, and remove the salt pork. 
Garnish with parsley, water-cresses or Saratoga potatoes, and serve a drawn 
butter or Hollandaise sauce with it. The best fish for baking whole are fresh 
shad, bass, cod, blue-fish, haddock and small salmon. 

Stuffing for Baked Fish. — Take 1 cup cracker crumbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 
saltspoon of pepper, 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley, 4 tablespoons melted butter. 
If it is wanted more moist, wet the cracker crumbs with % cup of warm water, or 
with 1 beaten egg. This makes a stuffing for a fish weighing 4 to 6 lbs. 

Stuffing, No. 2. — Take bread crumbs, 1 well beaten egg, 1 tablespoon chopped 
suet, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons minced onion, a little butter, 
pepper and salt. Stuff the fish, sew or tie up, and bake. 

Oyster Stuffing. — Prepare J<£ pint of buttered cracker crumbs; then take 2 
cups oysters, roll each one in the cracker crumbs (draining them first) and fill the 



FISH. 71 

fish with thein; sprinkle the oysters with the balance of the crumbs, sew up the 
fish, and bake. 

Oyster Stuffing, No 2. — Season a pint of oysters with salt, red pepper and 
lemon juice; fill the fish with the oysters, sew up, and bake as before directed. 

To Stew Fish. — Cut the fish in small pieces and sprinkle on salt; then in % 
pint of water boil 2 onions (sliced) and when cooked, pour off the water; then add 
1 cup of water, the juice of % a lemon, salt to taste, a saltspoon of pepper, and a 
sprig of parsley. Cook the fish in this till done (about 20 minutes) and serve very 
hot. Rub to a cream 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 large teaspoon of flour, and 
thicken the gravy with it. Any fresh water fish can be thus stewed. 

Spiced Fish. — Remove all skin and bones, put it in a deep dish, and enough 
hot, spiced vinegar (prepared by boiling cloves and allspice in the vinegar 10 
minutes) to barely cover; as soon as cold, it can be used. Remains of any cold, 
fresh fish can be used thus. 

Fish au (Jratiii. — Cut an onion in small pieces, and fry it in 3 tablespoons of 
butter; skin and bone 2 lbs. fish, cut it in pieces, roll and dip it in flour, and fry it 
in the onion and butter, in a frying pan; let only 1 side brown. Now pour over 
the onions and butter, 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, 3 tablespoons beef 
gravy or Liebig's extract, 4 tablespoons of tomatoes just out of the can, and the 
liquor from 1 pint of oysters. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the top, and here and 
there put bits of butter. Set the platter in the oven over a pan of hot water, to 
prevent the dish from breaking, and bake till the crumbs are brown. Season 1 
pint of raw oysters with red pepper, salt and lemon juice; put them in a saucepan, 
and let them cook until they puff up. Shake the pan to keep them from burning, 
and when done, pour them around the fish. Shrimp or mushrooms may be used 
instead of oysters. 

Fish Balls. — Take 1 cup salt fish which has been picked in pieces and freed 
from bones, 2 cups potatoes peeled and quartered, and 1% quarts boiling water; 
put all together in a pan, and boil until the potatoes are soft, but not till they are 
soggy. Then drain off the water, mash and beat till soft and smooth, and add a 
little pepper, 1 teaspoon of butter, and, when slightly cooled, 1 well-beaten egg, 
with more salt, if there is not enough. Shape into balls with a tablespoon, and 
fry about 1 minute in smoking hot fat; on taking out, lay them on softpaper to 
drain. Excellent. The mixture can also be fried in a frying-pan, with salt pork 
fat, till brown, if desired, and turned out like an omelet. 

Fish Chowder. — Take 3 Bbs. cod or haddock cut in pieces, 1 small onion, 2 pints 
sliced potatoes, % lb. fresh Boston crackers (if stale these will spoil the chowder), 
% lb. salt pork cut in thin slices, 2 heaping tablespoons of flour and 1 of butter, 
1 cups milk. Fry the pork brown (but do not burn it) in a deep kettle; on the 
pork put a layer of the fish, then a layer of potatoes well dredged with flour, pep- 
per, salt, and a little of the onion; repeat till the ingredients are all used; then 
pour over hot water not quite to cover. Heat the milk in another saucepan and when 
the potatoes are tender, add to the chowder with the butter; have the crackers split, 
soaked a few minutes in warm milk or water, and add them also; boil up once and the 
dish will be done; the broth should be about as thick as thin cream soup. A good 
way to serve it is to put the fish and potato on a large platter, with the crackers 
in a circle around, and then strain the broth and put it in a soup tureen. This 
will make an entire dinner of itself (soup, fish and vegetables), adding, to finish, 
a simple dessertor a little fruit. 



n FISH. 

Creamed Fish. — Boil 3 ft>s. of cod or haddock in salted water, with }/i table- 
spoon of vinegar; when cool, remove the skin and bones, and separate the fish 
with a silver fork; season well with salt and white pepper. Make a cream sauce 
by putting into a saucepan 2 tablespoons each of flour and butter, the juice of J£ 
lemon, and 1 teaspoon salt; mix well, and gradually add 2 cups hot milk. Put 
a layer of the fish on the platter in which it is to be served, sprinkle on finely 
chopped parsley, and cover with the cream sauce; then repeat the process. Mois- 
ten in melted butter, bread crumbs which have not been sifted, spread them over 
the top, and set the platter in the oven over a pan of hot water, to prevent it from 
breaking, and bake till the crumbs are a delicate brown. 

Anchovies. — These are small fish caught in the Mediterranean sea, and put in 
salt for the market. They are used for relishes like sardines, and in compound- 
ing sauces for meat and other fish. 

Blue-fish. — This can be baked with a dressing of bread crumbs and season- 
ing, or simply seasoned with salt and pepper; bake until a nice golden brown. 
This is a delicious fish and may be served with any of the fish sauces liked best. 
It can be boiled or cut in steaks and fried in salt pork fat in the frying-pan, or 
cut in pieces and fried in hot fat until of a rich brown color. 

Cat-fish. — They must be scalded with boiling water and the skin removed; 
cut down the back and cut in pieces as large as the hand; then fry as directed 
for frying fish. 

Codfish. — Codfish Balls. — Take equal parts of nicely picked codfish, mashed 
potatoes, and boiled red beets chopped finely. Mold into balls, brown in hot fat 
of salted pork, and garnish with the crisp bits of fried pork. 

Escaloped Codfish. — Mix 2 cups of mashed potato with 1% cups of cold boiled 
codfish picked in small pieces, 2% cups of sweet milk and butter the size of an 
egg; put this in a pudding dish nice enough to set on the table, and bake a light 
brown. 

Escaloped Codfish, No. 2. — Freshen the fish and pick it fine and light; make a 
thickened milk gravy, and when scalded, stir in 2 beaten eggs. Into a pudding 
dish put a layer of codfish, then a layer of bread crumbs; moisten with the sauce, 
and season with pepper, salt and bits of butter. Put in alternate layers of cod- 
fish, crumbs, etc., until the dish is full, finishing with crumbs. Bake it in the 
oven as you would escaloped oysters. 

Codfish Toast. — Shread 2 teacups of nice salt codfish, and soak it in cold wa- 
ter over night. In the morning thicken 1 quart of milk slightly with flour, add 1 
well-beaten egg, and boil 34 hour; then add the codfish (which should have been 
well drained in a colander) let it boil 5 minutes longer, and spread it over nicOj 
well-buttered toast; serve hot. 

Eels. — Skin them, wash, cut into lengths 3 inches long, wipe dry, sprinkle on 
pepper and salt to season, roll them in flour, or egg and bread-crumb them, and 
fry in hot fat. Serve with tomato, pickle or any acid sauce. They can also be 
broiled, boiled or stewed. 

Frogs. — The hind legs only are used. Skim and put them for 3 minutes in 
boiling salted water containing a little lemon juice; then drain and wipe dry. 
Fry the fat from 2 or 3 slices of thin salt pork; dip the frogs' legs in beaten egg 
and then in flour, and fry a delicate brown. Or dip them in bread crumbs, then 
season with pepper and salt, dip in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs, and fry a 
golden brown in smoking hot fat. If preferred, they can be broiled; or stew 



FlSH. 73 

them in a little water seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs; stew until tender, 

then let the water boil out, put in a bit of butter and let them brown. Serve 

with parsley, water-cresses or pepper-grass and lettuce. Frogs' legs are also 

made into a broth the same as chicken broth. 

Seventy years ago, Charles Lamb wrote to a friend: "Since I saw you I have been in 
France and have eaten frogs, the nicest little rabbity things you ever tasted. Pick off the 
hind-quarters; boil them plain, and serve with parsley and butter." 

Halibut, Pickled. — Take a piece of cold boiled halibut, put it in a bowl and 
pour over it hot vinegar, in which has been boiled a little red pepper and one « 
blade of mace; let it stand 2 days before using. 

Halibut Steaks. — Fry the fat thoroughly from 4 thick slices of clear salt pork; 
take out the pork when crisp; roll the steaks in flour or yellow corn-meal, and 
put in the pan; fry over a hot fire, but do not scorch; when done on one side, 
turn carefully with a fish, or pie knife, and when done, have both sides a golden 
brown. Place the fish on a platter; send to the table, with cream gravy made in 
the pan after taking up the fish. Serve with cucumber pickles. 

Creamed Salt Mackerel. — Soak the fish over night, and wipe dry the next 
morning; heat the gridiron, butter it, and broil the fish over a clear fire; lay it on 
a hot platter while you make a sauce as follows: Heat 1 cup of milk to near 
boiling, and thicken it with 2 teaspoons of corn-starch rubbed smooth in 2 tea- 
spoons of butter; add salt, pepper, a little chopped parsley, and when taken from 
the stove and partly cool, stir in 1 beaten egg; then pour it over the fish and 
serve. A nice breakfast dish in hot weather. 

Fish Roes. — The hard, yellow, granular roe is the spawn or eggs of fish, and 
the soft, whitish roe is the milt. For frying (either the hard or the soft) wash 
them, then parboil by putting them for 10 minutes in boiling salted water con- 
taining 1 tablespoon of vinegar; then take out, plunge in cold water, drain, egg 
and bread-crumb, and fry in hot fat till a nice brown. They are also sometimes 
sauted or fried in a frying-pan, being first cut in slices % inch thick and egg and 
bread-crumbed. 

Fish Roes, Baked. — Parboil them in slightly salted water for 10 minutes; then 
drain them on a cloth, lay them on thin slices of breakfast-bacon in a baking-tin, 
place thin slices of bacon over the roe, and set it in a hot oven until the bacon is 
baked crisp and brown. Serve with any one of the fish sauces preferred. 

Fish Roes, Boiled. — Boil them in slightly salted water for 30 minutes; if small, 
they will cook in less time. Do not let them break in pieces. In the meantime 
make a nice butter gravy, add to it a very little chopped parsley, and pour it over 
the roe, after placing in on a hot platter. 

Fish Roes, Broiled. — Parboil the roes for 10 or 15 minutes in slightly salted 

water to harden them, drain on a cloth, and wipe them dry; dip in beaten egg, 

roll in cracker-crumbs, and broil over a clear fire of coals until well browned on 

both sides; place them on a hot platter, spread them with butter, or pour over 

them any fish sauce preferred. 

The fecundity of fish has always excited the wonder of naturalists. The males have 
the milt, and the females the roe. The greater number deposit their spawn in the sand or 
gravel, but some of those who dwell in the depths of the ocean attach their eggs to sea- 
weeds. According to Lewenhoeck, the cod annually^pawn upwards of 9,000,000 of eggs; the 
flounder 1,000,000, the sturgeon 700,000; the perch 400,000; the mackerel 500,000; the herring 
10,000. Fish roes form a cheap and appetizing dish for those who like them. 

Salmon Cutlets. — Cut slices of salmon % i nc h thick, remove skin and bone, 
season with salt and pepper, sprinkle on flour, dip in beaten egg, roll in bread 
crumbs, and fry in hot fat. Or they can be fried in a frying-pan. 

Salmon Steaks. — Salmon steaks are good broiled and served with piccalilli 



1i FISH. 

heated and piled in the middle, and with a hot sauce poured round, but not over 
the fish. A very simple but delicious way of cooking salmon is to cut it in slices, 
and grill it, serving it at once with a good squeeze of lemon juice, and a dust of 
cayenne on each side. Large trout cooked in the same way are equally good. 

Salmon Toast. — Soak 2 oz. of bread crumbs in cold milk, and mix with a can 
of salmon which has been worked to a paste. Add the beaten yolks of 2 eggs, 
season with salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, and the grated peel of % a lemon. Put 
into a dish, and on top place beaten whites of the eggs. Bake in a moderate oven, 
and when the top is slightly brown, it is ready to serve. 

Canned Salmon. — A good way to serve it for breakfast, is to heat it, add pep- 
per and salt to season, and serve on slices of toast, pouring over milk thickened 
with flour and butter. 

Another way to use canned salmon is to put the can for about 20 minutes in a 
kettle of hot water; then turn it into a dish, and pour on drawn butter, to which 
finely cut hard boiled eggs and chopped parsley has been added; eat with mashed 
potatoes. 

Sardines. — Take 3 eggs, 3 sardines, 3 slices of buttered toast. Bone the sar- 
dines and pound them in a mortar with a pinch of salt, a little pepper, and cay- 
enne. Spread this paste on the hot buttered toast. Heat half a pint of cream, 
and, when hot, add the eggs well beaten with a Dover beater. Stir well until 
almost boiling; then pour it over the sardines and toast, and send to the table. 
Sufficient for 3 persons. 

To serve sardines, the oil can be drained from them, and then place them on 

any small ornamental dish. Some people cover them with fresh olive oil, and 

others do not, as tastes differ. They can be garnished with parsley, pepper -grass 

or lettuce. Set a dish of quartered lemons near them. 

Sardines belong to the same order as the herring. They abound in the Mediterranean, 
and are also found in parts of the Atlantic. They appear in shoals, are caught with nets, 
and are salted, dried, soaked in boiling oil and put into boxes and covered with oil. A 
good many of the fish sold as sardines are really sprats, cured and preserved in the same 
way. A variety named anchovied sardines are sardines that have been cured in red wine. 
Sardines are very wholesome, and furnish an agreeable addition to the table. 

Shad. — Many people prefer this fish baked. Stuff and bake it as directed for 
baking fish. It will take from 1 to 1% hours to bake. 

Dressing for Baked Shad. — Boil up the gravy in which the shad was baked, put 
in a large tablespoon of browned flour which has been wet with a little cold 
water, and the juice of 2 lemons. Pour it around the fish after it is placed on the 
platter, or serve it in a sauce-boat. 

Smelts, Baked. — This delicious little fish is of a fine silvery appearance, with 
a light fawn-colored shade on the back, and when fresh, has an odor resembling 
cucumbers. Wash and dry them with a cloth; arrange them in a buttered flat 
baking dish; cover them with a layer of fine, fresh bread crumbs, first sprinkling 
the fish with a little salt and white pepper; place bits of butter over the bread- 
crumbs and bake until a nice brown, say 20 or 30 minutes. Send to the table in 
the dish in which they were baked; squeeze the juice of a lemon over them just 
before sending to the table. 

Fried Smelts.— They may be fried in a little butter after the manner of cook- 
ing small trout, or in the fat of a slice of salt pork; or they may be strung, 6 on 
a wire skewer, dipped in egg and then cracker crumbs, and cooked in boiling fat 
like doughnuts. Smelts, small trout, and all small pan-fish, are better dressed 
with scissors than with a knife. 



frtsit. ?B 

Brook Trout, Broiled.— Split the fish open, take out the backbone; have 
melted butter ready, seasoned with salt and pepper; dip the trout in it, and broil 
to a nice brown in a wire broiler. 

Brook Trout, Fried. — Scald them in boiling water; then take off the skin, and 
take out the backbone; have beaten egg ready, seasoned with salt and pepper; 
dip the fish in it, roll in flour and fry to a nice brown in butter or oil. 

Lake Trout (Muskallonge). — This should be cut in pieces of the size to serve 
at the table, then rolled in cornmeal and fried in a kettle of hot fat like 
doughnuts, until they are a rich golden brown. It may be cut in slices and fried 
in the frying-pan in salt pork fat, and garnished with the crisp slices of pork. It 
is also nice stuffed and baked. 




BOILED TROUT, 

Trout au Bleu.— Take some freshly caught trout; clean and wipe them; put 
them in a sauce-pan, and pour over them a pint of boiling vinegar, which imme- 
diately turns- them blue; then add a pint of water to cover the fish; add 4 bay 
leaves, salt and pepper, an onion stuck with cloves, the peel of a lemon, half a 
head of celery, a carrot, and a small bunch of parsley; cover and boil J^ hour. 
Serve with fish sauce, or oil and vinegar. 

Turbot. — Boiled Turbot. — Let it soak in salted water 3 or 4 hours before dress- 
ing, to remove the slime. Then clean well, but do not cut off the fins; make an 
incision down the back to prevent the skin on the belly from cracking when it 
begins to swell in cooking; rub well with the juice of a lemon and a little salt, 
and boil as directed for boiling fish. As soon as it is done, drain, garnish and 
serve. 

Fried Turbot. — Cut some remnants of boiled turbot into neat pieces, steep 
them in a marinade of lemon juice, oil, pepper and salt for 1 or 2 hours, then dip 
them in batter and fry them a golden brown in plenty of hot fat. 

Salt Fish. — Salt fish may be soaked over night, changing the water in the 
morning; always put it in the water flesh side down. Salt being heavy, will be 
kept in the fish if the thick skin is on the under side while soaking. Salted sal- 
mon may be freshened by putting it in sweet milk, and letting it stand until the 
milk is sour. Salt fish that has been soaked in several waters does not need much 
boiling, 5 or 10 minutes after it is picked in pieces is enough — too long boiling 
hardens it and renders it indigestible. Milk, either sweet or sour, is one of the 
best things to soak salt fish in to freshen it. Salt fish should never be chopped; 
it should be picked into small pieces. It can be reduced to fine threads by rub- 
bing with a potato masher, and will then mix with any other ingredients more 
readily than when chopped. 

Remnants of Fish. — Fish Cakes. — Take the remnants of any cold fish, pull 
them to pieces, and thoroughly incorporate with them a small piece of butter and 
some mashed potatoes; season the whole with pepper and salt to taste, and a lit- 



76 PISH. 

tie cayenne if desired. Form the mixture into cakes, and fry in butter till of a 
golden color. Serve garnished with parsley. 

Escaloped Fish. — Into a baking dish put alternate layers of sliced or mashed 
potatoes, and any remnants of broiled, fried or baked fish left from dinner; season 
with parsley, pour over a cream sauce, and bake in a hot oven % hour. 

Fish Pie.— Take any cold fish left from dinner, pick in small pieces, carefully 
removing every bone, and season to taste. Have a kettle of hot mashed potato, 
put half the potato in the bottom of a pudding dish, then spread on it the fish 
and cover with the remainder of the potato. Smooth over the top, and brown in 
the oven 10 minutes. Cheap and good for supper or breakfast. 

Fish and Oyster Pie. — Take any remains of cold fish, such as cod or haddock, 2 
doz. oysters, pepper and salt to taste, bread crumbs sufficient for the quantity of 
fish, % teaspoon grated nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley. Clean 
the fish from the bones and put a layer of it in a pie dish, which sprinkle with 
pepper and salt, then a layer of bread crumbs, oysters, nutmeg and chopped 
parsley, and so on until the dish is quite full. You may form a covering either 
of bread crumbs, which should be browned, or puff paste, which should be cut 
off into long strips and laid in cross-bars over the fish, with a line of the paste 
first laid round the edge. Before putting on the top, pour in some melted but- 
ter, or a little thin white sauce, and the oyster liquor, and bake. Time — if of 
cooked fish 3^ of an hour; if made of fresh fish and puff paste, % of an hour. 

Re-dressed Cold Fish. — Cut the fish into square pieces, and lay them neatly in 
a flat dish; then cover them with mayonnaise sauce, and garnish with sliced beet- 
root and parsley. White fish or salmon may be dressed in this way. 

Potted Fish. — Clean the fish, skin it, remove the larger bones, and cut it in 
pieces. Mix together 3 tablespoons each of cloves, allspice and peppercorns, 1 
saltspoon of cayenne, and % CU P °f ea lt. Into a small stone jar (not earthen- 
ware) pack the fish in layers, sprinkling the mixture of spices between the layers. 
Put in vinegar enough to cover, tie a thick paper over the top, and bake 5 or 6 
hours in a moderate oven. It will keep some time in a cool place (if kept under 
the vinegar), and can be eaten cold or hot, making a fine relish for tea or lunch. 
The bones will be dissolved by the vinegar. 



SHELL-FISH. 

Under the head of shell-fish we include oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, 
prawns, mussels, crayfish, scallops, and terrapin or turtle. 

Of the shell-fish, oysters are the most valuable, not only for their flavor, but 
for the ease with which they can be taken by invalids, and for the nutritious 
qualities they possess. Lobsters and clams are more difficult of digestion, but are 
much liked by many persons. Lobsters and clams should be perfectly fresh, as 
many cases of illness have been caused by eating them after decomposition has 
begun. All shell-fish should be kept near ice both before and after being cooked, 
if there, is a remainder after the meals, except in cold and freezing weather. 

CLAMS. 

Clams are good during the months when oysters are not in season — those 
without an "r." If only eaten when fresh, they are wholesome. 

Clams au Gratin. — Chop all the hard part of uncooked clams; to a cup of 
clams add a cup of fine cracker or bread crumbs, reserving a little for the top of 
the mixture before it is placed in the oven; add also to the chopped clams a des- 
sertspoon of chopped onion, a small teaspoon of marjoram and sage, a little 
chopped celery, some cayenne and salt; moisten all with the broth of the clams; 
fill buttered shells with the mixture, sprinkle crumbs over the top,with some bits 
of butter, and place in a hot oven for 20 minutes; garnish with parsley when 
served. 

Clam Chowder. — Take 1 quart of clams and chop them fine; 6 large fresh 
crackers, 1 onion, sliced, 6 potatoes, cut in dice. In an iron pot fry 2 slices of 
salt pork; take it out soon, leaving the fat in the pot; put in 2 or 3 slices of onion, 
then a layer of the potatoes, then a layer of the chopped clams, sprinkle well with 
salt and pepper; then a layer of the onion, then the bits of fried pork, cut into 
small pieces; add a layer of broken crackers; put in the remainder in the same 
way; then add the clam liquor, and enough water to more than cover them. Cook 
20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done; add 2 cups hot milk just before serv- 
ing. Sufficient for 8 persons. 

Escaloped Clams. — Scald the clams, remove the hard part and chop the rest. 
Make a soup of the liquor, with enough water added to make it fresh enough; 
thicken it and make sufficiently rich with butter. Butter a scalloped dish, strew 
the bottom with bread or cracker crumbs, moisten them with the soup, then 
spread a layer of clams seasoned with pepper, and continue alternately till the 
dish is full, the last layer being crumbs moistened with soup. Bake % hour, and 
serve at once. 

Stewed Clams. — Chop the clams, and gently simmer them in their own liquor, 
over a slow fire, for an hour; then add salt, pepper, and bits of butter rolled in 
flour, and stir until ,it thickens. The flour being mixed with the butter will not 
cook in lumps. If the flavor of onions is liked, rub the platter with a raw onion. 
Cover the bottom of the platter with nicely browned halves of crackers, pour the 
hot stew over them, and send to the table. 

Clams on Toast. — Take the clams out of the shell and cut their heads off; boil 
them in their own liquor; skim it well, and add as much water or milk as there 
is liquor; thicken with flour or powdered rice to the consistency of cream; add 

(77) 



78 SHELL-FISH. 

butter, and pepper and salt to taste. Have some thin slices of buttered toast 
prepared, pour on enough of the liquor to soften the toast and lay 3 or 4 clams on 
each slice. Serve at once, on hot plates. Garnish with parsley. A teacup of hot 
water will "start the steam" for 3^ peck of clams; the amount of liquor which 
each shell contains will surprise the novice. As few like the liquor full strength, 
it is better to dilute it %, as above directed. 

CRABS. 

A crab of the medium size is the best, and the crab, like the lob- 
ster, should be judged by its weight. It should be heavy for its size, for if 
light, it is watery. They are called "soft shell crabs" when the new shell is form- 
ing, as they shed their shell annually. They are a similar shell-fish to lobster, 
and are prepared in the same ways for the table. 

Browned Crabs. — Take the great shell, clean and butter it; mince all the fish, 
shred some parsley, mushrooms, truffles, and a small onion. Brown these in a 
sauce-pan with a very little butter; put in the minced crab with the inside bruised, 
and some cayenne pepper and salt; stir this about, shake in some flour, and add 
a little coral. Let this simmer up, fill up the shell, strew over crumbs of bread 
with a small piece of butter; brown in a hot oven. 

Deviled Crabs. — Boil the crabs, take out the meat and chop it fine; then add 
% as much bread crumbs, cream or a cream sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, mustard 
and lemon juice. Clean the shells, fill them with the mixture, dust them with 
cracker crumbs, and bake them brown in a quick oven. Deviled crabs should 
always be seasoned high. 

Escaloped Crabs. — Take the meat of boiled crabs, chop it fine; add cream or 
cream sauce, chopped hard-boiled egg, pepper and salt to season, and a little 
lemon juice. Clean the shells, put in the mixture, dust on bread crumbs, and 
bake brown in a quick oven. 

Fried Soft Shell Crabs. — Remove the sand bags, etc., wash and dry them; 
sprinkle on pepper and salt, roll them in flour, then in egg, then in bread or 
cracker crumbs, and fry in hot fat. 

Kromeskies of Crabs. — Boil for 40 minutes, 1 or more crabs; when cool, pick 
them out in as large pieces as possible. Mash fine the hard-boiled yolks of 4 
eggs, add them to the crabs, with 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, 1 whole egg 
well beaten, and a palatable seasoning of salt and cayenne. Mix carefully, and 
form into tiny rolls; wrap each in a very thin slice of bacon, dip it in fritter 
batter, and fry in smoking hot fat. Serve on a napkin; garnish with cress. 

CRAY-FISH, PRAWNS AND SHRIMPS. 

These are much like lobsters, only smaller, and they are to be found in pro- 
vision stores in hermetically sealed cans, already cooked, and the meats picked 
from the shells. They are used whole and boiled for garnisning boiled fowls and 
all kinds of boiled fish. They are boiled in the same manner as lobsters, but for a 
much shorter time, from 5 to 15 minutes being the rule. After boiling, they may 
be broken in pieces, shells and all together, and form a foundation for a delicious 
soup, with any additions preferred. 

These shell-fish make ornamental side dishes, served whole, and garnished 
with parsley and nasturtiums. 

Buttered Shrimps or Prawns. — Pick 1 pint of shrimps or prawns, and put 
them in a stew-pan with % pint of bouillon; add a thickening of butter and flour; 
season to taste with salt, cayenne and nutmeg, and simmer gently for 3 minutes. 
Serve on a dish garnished with fried bread or toasted sippets. Cream sauce may 
be substituted for the gravy. 



SHELL-FISH. 79 

Curried Cray-fish, Prawns and Shrimps. — For a can of these shell-fish, 
melt a small cup of butter in a pan; add a saltspoon of curry-powder, a sour 
apple chopped finely, the juice of a lemon, and ^ pint of hot water; a small onion 
may be added if liked. When all the ingredients are well scalded together, add 
a tablespoon of corn-starch wet with a little water, and stir until it thickens; 
add the can of shell-fish to the curry sauce. Let it get quite hot — do not boil — 
then serve. 

Potted Cray-fish, Prawns or Shrimps, — Pick the meat from 50 cray-fish and 
pound it to a paste in a mortar; season with salt, pepper, a little nutmeg, 
and a piece of butter the size of an egg. The butter must be slightly softened, 
but not melted, and the ingredients should be thoroughly mixed. Put it in small 
earthen pots, pack tightly, and cover with salad oil; then cover in such a way as 
to entirely exclude the air. The earthen pot can be had of apothecaries, with the 
covers; the potted cray-fish should be kept in a cool, dry, dark place. 

Prawns and shrimps may be potted in the same manner. 

IiOBSTERS. 

The largest lobsters are not as good as those of a medium size, and those full 
of eggs are inferior. Lobsters should be put in cold water to boil, for they are 
dead as soon as the water becomes warm, and suffer less than when plunged into 
boiling water; they are done when they have boiled about 20 minutes. Lobsters 
are not poisonous if perfectly fresh; there is no poison "lady" in the lobster. 
The stomach near the head is, of course, taken out, and also the "string" or 
intestine which goes through the lobster; all the rest is edible. The green 
tomally or liver can be eaten, and do not waste the sweet meat between the 
bones of the body. Lobsters that were alive when put into the water to boil, will 
have the tail curled up, while one that was dead will have the tail extended. 
Long or slow cooking will toughen lobsters and make them indigestible. Brush- 
ing the large shells on the outside with olive oil, is thought to preserve the 
bright red color. Cayenne pepper, mustard, vinegar or lemon juice, should be 
eaten with lobsters; they are digested with difficulty. 

To kill a lobster quickly and easily, cut the spinal cord by pushing a long, 
narrow-bladed knife into the tail, slanting the blade downward, and inserting it 
at the third joint, counting from the end. 

Lobster coral can be kept a long time if put in a jar or bottle and covered 
with vinegar. To use, soak about an hour in water, and then in milk for the 
same time; wipe dry, and use like fresh coral. During the season it is well to 
preserve surplus coral in this way, for coloring soups, etc. 

Lobsters Au Gtratin. — Split the tail and body of the lobster, removing the 
fish and taking care not to break the shells; mince the fish, and put all into a 
stew-pan with a little good stock, and pepper and salt; mix it well, fill the shells 
with the mixture, cover them well with bread crumbs, brush over with clarified 
butter, and brown it in a hot oven. 

Broiled Lobster. — After being boiled, a lobster may be broiled as follows: 
Take the claws off and crack them, split the body and tail in two, season well 
with pepper, salt, and cayenne, and broil. Serve with plain butter, or with a 
little heated catsup, dashed with Worcestershire sauce. 

Buttered Lobster. — A buttered lobster should be first boiled and broken up. 
Take out all the meat, cut it small and put it in a stew-pan with plenty of butter, 
a little pepper, salt, and vinegar, and stir till it is hot. If a handsome dish of 2 or 
3 lobsters be desired, the tails should be halved and broiled, and put round the 
dish with the minced lobster in the middle. 

Lobster Canapes. — For this, there must be the meat of a medium-sized lobster, 
cut in small pieces, and mingled with the green fat; pour over it a very little 



80 SHELL-FISH. 

salad oil and vinegar, just enough to moisten it well, and let it stand 10 or 15 
minutes. Cut thin slices of bread for the croutons, trim off the crust to make 
them square, or cut them with fancy-shaped cutters, and fry them a delicate 
brown, on a griddle well buttered; spread the croutons on a platter garnished 
with parsley; on the croutons spread the lobster, and on the lobster may be placed 
thin slices of lemon, or sprinkle them well with capers. 

Lobster Creamed. — Chop finely a medium-sized lobster and pour over it a pint 
of cream; put in a cup of bread crumbs, and 3 eggs well beaten, with a little 
salt and pepper; butter a mold, fill in the mixture, invert a plate over the top, 
and steam for an hour. Serve with any nice fish sauce. 

Lobster Curry. — Put % cupful of butter in a frying-pan, and when melted, 
stir into it 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 heaping saltspoon of curry powder; stir 
constantly until it is brown; then gradually add % pint of hot water, stirring 
rapidly until it thickens; season with salt to taste. Chop coarsely the meat and fat 
of a medium-sized lobster, and add it to the curry sauce; simmer 5 or 6 minutes, 
or until it is quite hot; if onion is liked, rub the hot platter with a raw onion; 
place on the platter slices of nicely-toasted bread, and pour the curried lobster 
over the toast. Serve hot. 

Deviled Lobster. — Cut lobster fine, and season it highly with salt, cayenne, 
mustard, chopped parsley, onion juice, if desired, and some pungent sauce, like 
Worcestershire; place the mixture in the lobster shell, sprinkle bread crumbs 
over the top, with bits of butter, and bake till brown on top. Eat hot or cold. 

Lobster Patties. — Chop a medium-sized lobster very finely, and mix with it 
the juice of a lemon, a little salt, and white pepper, and salad oil enough to 
moisten it, if not moist enough; line patty-pans with puff paste and put into 
each a small piece of bread; put on a top crust of paste, brush over with beaten 
egg, and bake; when done, takeoff the top crust, remove the bread, fill the patties 
with the minced lobster (after stirring it over the fire with the seasoning for 3 or 
4 minutes); then replace the top crusts. 

Stewed Lobster. — Cut the lobster small and put it in a stew-pan, and add 
just a little water, milk or cream, the latter being best, although the first will 
answer; let it boil up, add a teaspoon of butter, and pepper and salt to season, and 
serve hot, either on toast or plain. 

MUSSELS. 

These cheap and excellent shell-fish are sometimes called the poor man's oys- 
ter. They are sometimes eaten raw, but it is better to cook them. They can be 
fried, broiled, stewed, or pickled, being usually prepared for the market by pickling. 
The "moss," or byssus, which serves to attach them to rocks, etc., is usually 
removed, being considered poisonous, although there is no proof of that. Still, it 
is better to remove it after being boiled and before serving them. 

Boiled Mussels. — Clean the shells and put them in a kettle with water 
slightly salted and containing a little vinegar; heat until the shells open and they 
are done. Remove them from the shells, trim off the " moss," strain the liquor, 
add a little flour, the yolks of 1 or 2 eggs, pour over the mussels and serve at 
once. Chopped parsley may be added if desired. 

OYSTERS. 

Oysters are only good during the months containing an "r" (that is, from Sep- 
tember to April) as their multiplying season is during the warm weather, and at 
that time they are soft and tasteless. They are not easily kept in warm weather, 
being a fish that quickly spoils. Canned oysters can be used in hot weather if 
liked, for they are only canned in their season. In cooking oysters, great care 



SHELL-FISH. 81 

should be taken, that they may not be cooked too long, as that process hardens 
them. They are easily digested and are commonly given to invalids, although 
cooking renders them a little less digestible; if too much cooked, they are tough 
and leathery. Always buy the " solid " oysters, or those containing very little 
juice, as they are sometimes watered and it is more economical to water them 
yourself. The smallest oysters are used for stews and escalops, and are sold by 
measure, as are the " straights," that is, the large and small mixed. The largest 
oysters are usually sold by the dozen for broiling and frying; they are called 
" counts," and " selects." 

Never salt oysters until just before serving, as cooking them with salt hardens 
them. They should be served at once after being cooked. Be sure that all bits 
of shell are removed before cooking. Do not open them until just before using if 
wanted raw; if to be cooked, do not keep them long after being opened. As the 
crabs are usually regarded as a delicacy, save any which are found among the 
oysters. As oysters in cooking produce liquor enough of their own, there is less 
need of saving their liquor. 

Broiled Oysters. — Take as many large oysters as are needed, dry them in a 
towel, rub butter on the bars of a wire gridiron, brush a little over the oysters, 
and broil over a clear fire. If the wires of the gridiron are close together, smaller 
ones can be broiled. Arrange them on toast, season and serve. Or they can be 
dipped in melted butter, then rolled in crumbs which are seasoned with pepper 
and salt, and broiled until the juice flows; this saves the juice more and many 
people prefer it. 

Creamed Oysters. — Cook 3 tablespoons of flour and 2 tablespoons of butter to- 
gether until they bubble; add 1 cup milk and 1 cup of oyster liquor, and stir until 
you have a thick sauce; into this drop 1 quart of oysters freed from their liquor. 
Have ready an egg beaten light in a cup, mix some of the hot sauce with it, turn 
all back into the saucepan, stir 1 minute (not longer) and take from the fire. 
Season with salt, pepper and the juice of half a lemon. Serve on toast, or put 
the creamed oysters into buttered scallop-shells; sprinkle with crumbs, dot with 
butter, and brown in a quick oven. Eat hot. 

Deviled Oysters. — Drain the oysters and dry in a clean towel; then put them 
in a dish, and cover with a mixture of melted butter and vinegar or lemon juice, 
adding a little pepper sauce or cayenne pepper if desired; let them soak 5 or 10 
minutes and take them out; dip them in fine cracker crumbs, then in beaten egg, 
and again in crumbs, and fry in smoking hot fat. 

Escaloped Oysters. — Roll 1 quart of crackers fine with the rolling pin. Grease 
the baking dish as you would before baking a cake in it. Put a layer of cracker 
crumbs in the dish; drain the liquor from the oysters and add twice the quantity 
of milk to it; moisten the crumbs with some of this, then put in a layer of oysters 
with a seasoning of salt, pepper and bits of butter. Put in the layers of crumbs 
alternately with the oysters in this way until all are in, with a layer of crumbs 
and bits of butter on top. Beat 1 egg and add to it the remainder of the milk and 
oyster liquor, or if none remains, add a little milk to the egg and pour it over all. 
Put a cover over it and bake % hour; then remove the cover and bake % hour 
longer. 

Fried Oysters. — Take large sized oysters, parboil slightly, drain, sprinkle with 
pepper and salt and cool 20 minutes. Then roll each one separately in bread 
crumbs, then in beaten eggs and milk mixed, then again season, and again roll in 
bread crumbs. Put into boiling hot lard and fry 1 minute; take out, lay on paper 
to absorb surplus grease, garnish and serve. 

They can also be fried in the frying-pan. Prepare as above, roll in cracker 
crumbs only, and fry on each side until brown, using butter for the fat. 
6 



82 SHELL-FISH. 

Fricassee of Oysters. — Put about 75 oysters on the fire in their liquor and an 
equal quantity of chicken broth; add the juice of 1 lemon, and when all conies to 
a boil, remove from the fire; in another stew-pan put a tablespoon of butter, 1% 
tablespoons of flour; stir them together carefully so as not to color; add, slowly, 
the liquor and oysters from the other stew-pan, then the beaten yolks of 4 eggs, 1 
saltspoon of white pepper and salt mixed, 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley; let 
the mixture become thoroughly hot, but do not boil; serve as soon as possible. 

Oyster Fritters. — Have ready a batter made as follows: Dissolve 1 heaping 
tablespoon of butter in 4 tablespoons of water or oyster liquor, and stir to this 
1% tablespoons of sifted flour; mix well over the fire. Take it off and mix in, one 
after the other, 3 eggs, and a little salt. Beard and scald the oysters, dip each 
into the batter, fry lightly in smoking hot fat, and serve. 

Oysters On the Half Shell. — Do not open them until just before they are 
served, and then leave each one in half the shell. Allow about % doz. large oys- 
ters for each guest. Put them on a dinner plate, and in the center of the dish 
put 1 or 2 slices of lemon cut thin. 

Oysters and Macaroni. — Take some macaroni, boil until soft, put a layer into 
a baking dish, then put in a layer of oysters; season with salt, pepper and butter, 
and so on with alternate layers of macaroni and oysters, until the dish is full. 
Then bake till brown, and serve. 

Oyster Omelet. — Beat the yolks and whites of 6 eggs separately; to the yolks 
add % CU P of rich milk or thin cream, a little salt, and 12 oysters, chopped fine. 
Put butter in your frying-pan, as for an ordinary omelet, and allow it to heat 
while you are mixing the whites of the eggs with the rest of the ingredients. 
Mix the whole lightly and turn into the pan. Shake to prevent burning, and as 
soon as the omelet is set, or begins to be firm, turn one half over the other half 
quickly, slip on to a hot platter and serve at once. Good, but not as economical 
as many dishes. 

Panned Oysters. — Remove the crust from thin slices of stale bread, toast it, 
cut it in pieces, and fit them into muffin or patty-pans; moisten with oyster 
liquor; put oysters on the toast, sprinkle with pepper, and put a bit of butter on 
each one; cover with a dripping-pan, or any convenient cover to prevent the 
escape of steam, and cook in a quick oven; they will be done when the oysters 
curl (in 6 or 8 minutes). Then sprinkle with salt, and serve hot. 

Oyster Patties. — Make a rich puff paste and bake it in earthen sauce-dishes. 
Wash nice fresh oysters in warm, salted water; drain and put in a sauce-pan, 
with a piece of butter, a little salt, pepper, and nutmeg, if liked. Cook them only 
until they are plump, stirring with a silver fork while plumping; when cold, fill 
the crusts and send to the table. If liked hot, the crusts can be filled before 
baking with the plumped oysters, and sent from the oven to the table. 

Oyster Pie.— Line a deep pie-dish with puff paste; dredge with flour; pour in 
1 pint of oysters, season with butter, salt, pepper, and sprinkle a little flour over 
the oysters; pour on some oyster liquor and cover with a crust, with a hole in the 
top for steam to escape. Bake 30 minutes. 

Pickled Oysters. — Put 100 oysters in a sauce-pan, and let them simmer gently 
in their own liquor for about 10 minutes; take them out one by one, put in jars, 
and when cold, cover with a pickle made as follows: Measure the oyster liquor 
and add to it the same amount of vinegar, and for each cup of vinegar, add 1 blade 
of pounded mace, 12 cloves, and a strip of lemon peel; boil 5 minutes, and when 
cold, pour over the oysters and cover closely. 



SHELL-FISH. 83 

Pigs in Blankets. — Choose large oysters, season with pepper and salt; wrap 
each one in a slice of bacon cut very thin, and fasten with a wooden toothpick. 
Cook in a hot frying-pan just long enough to crisp the bacon. Have small pieces 
of toast ready, put each "pig" on one, without removing the skewer; serve at once. 

Raw Oysters. — In cold weather these are much better to lie a short time in 
warm salted water; this takes the chill from the juice of the oyster, and they 
are more agreeable than when very cold, as they will be in winter. They 
may be eaten with just salt, pepper, and vinegar, but some persons like them 
served with one of the appetizing- sauces. Nice bread and butter sandwiches 
are good with raw oysters. 

At large dinners where raw oysters are served, they are sometimes brought to 
each individual place before the company is seated. It is a pleasant and home- 
like way for the host to serve them from a platter before him, on small dessert- 
plates. Drain the oysters well, arrange them on a platter, sprinkle with salt and 
pepper and slice lemon over them. Thin slices of buttered brown bread may be 
served with the oysters. Let them stand in the ice chest 3^ hour before serving. 

Steamed Oysters. — Drain them, lay on a plate and set in the steamer, and 
steam for about 10 minutes till they look white and plump. Use the liquid for a 
dressing; beat it, mix with an equal quantity of cream, and thicken it with a 
little corn -starch. 

Oyster Stew. — Put the liquor from 1 pint of oysters with 1 cup of sweet milk 
in a kettle; let it just boil, add the oysters and let it boil up once; then season 
with pepper, salt, and butter, with a few crackers toasted and broken in pieces. 
Never salt oysters until just before removing from the fire, or they will shrivel and 
harden. 

Smothered Oysters. — Put a piece of butter the size of an egg into a sauce- 
pan, with a little salt, white pepper and cayenne. Have ready a pint of oysters, 
which have been washed in warm water slightly salted, and thoroughly drained 
and dried on a napkin; when the butter is hot, put in the oysters and cook them 
until they are plump (2 or 3 minutes); stir them carefully all the time with a 
silver fork to prevent them from sticking to the sauce-pan. Serve on toasted 
crackers. 

Oyster Toast. — Chop fine 1% dozen good large oysters, and season with pep- 
per, salt, and a dash of nutmeg. Beat together % CU P °f cream and yolks of 2 
eggs; heat the oysters till they simmer, stir in the egg and cream, and pour it on 
prepared slices of buttered toast. 

Oysters Unshelled. — Take oysters in the shell; wash and scrub the shell till 

perfectly clean; then, to keep in the juice, set them with the round shell down. 

. Either steam them in the steamer 10 to 20 minutes, or roast them over hot coals 

on a gridiron, or put them in the dripping-pan on top of the stove, or in the hot 

oven. They will be done when the shells open. Then take off the flat top shell, 

and season each one with a little butter, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Serve 

hot. This method retains the natural flavor of the oyster better than any 

other. 

SCALLOPS. 

This fish somewhat resembles the oyster in appearance and the crab in taste. 
It is comparatively little known, although when fresh and well cooked it is very 
delicious. It is found in all parts of the world, and in ancient times the shells 
were used extensively in cookery, giving us our prefix of " scalloped." They are 
in season in fall and winter. The muscle by which it opens and closes its shell is 



84 SHELL-FISH. 

the only part eaten. They can be stewed like oysters, or fry them, which is a bet- 
ter way. 

Fried Scallops. — Rinse them in cold water slightly salted, and dry in a nap- 
kin; dip them in cracker dust seasoned with pepper and salt, then in egg, then in 
crumbs again, and fry in hot fat. They are sometimes dredged with flour and 
fried in a frying pan with pork fat. 

TERRAPIN OR TURTLE. 

To dress terrapin, cut off the head and bleed thoroughly, then soak in cold 
water for an hour. Next boil 10 or 15 minutes, take it out into cold water and 
with a coarse cloth rub off all the black skin. Have another water heating in the 
kettle, and when the turtle is cleaned, boil until the shell loosens; the time will 
vary from % hour to 2 hours, according to the age of the terrapin. When done, 
put in cold water again, take off the under shell and carefully take out the gall- 
sack and the liver and sand bag, and throw away the head. Be careful not to 
break the gall-sack, or the gall will escape and spoil the whole dish. Save the 
juice that runs from the meat, opening it over a bowl for that purpose. The eggs 
and meat are served in various ways. If made into a soup or stew, the eggs are 
put in and served with it; if served in other ways, the eggs are used with other 
decorations, as a garnish. In whatever way served, the meat must be cut finely. 

Escaloped Terrapin.— Put a cup of butter in a sauce-pan, melt, and stir in 2 
tablespoons of flour; then pour on a pint of hot water, stirring rapidly, to make 
a smooth gravy; pound the terrapin eggs to a paste and add with salt, pepper, 
and a trifle of nutmeg to taste; then strain. For a quart of finely cut terrapin, 
have a quart of bread crumbs made fine; put a layer of terrapin on the bottom 
of a pudding dish, then a layer of crumbs, then of sauce, and so fill the dish, 
having a layer of crumbs on the top. Add sweet milk enough to show through 
the top layer of crumbs if it is not sufficiently moist; put on a few bits of butter, 
and bake 20 minutes in a hot oven. Serve with slices of lemon. 

Terrapin Stew.— Make a sauce as for escaloped terrapin; put in the meat, cut 
finely, and let it get hot, but do not let it boil longer than a minute. Add lemon 
juice to the stew if liked. Serve with croutons or toasted crackers. 



SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND 

MEATS. 

It is of much importance that the cook should know how to make a good 
sauce for her meats, etc. A great deal of the elegance of cooking depends upon 
having the accompaniments of each dish appropriate and well adapted to it. The 
most homely fare may be made relishing, and the most excellent improved, by a 
well made sauce. It may safely be asserted that a first rate sauce maker is also a 
good cook. Sauces are necessary in the most modest kitchen, and they are as 
easily made rightly as wrongly, if one only knows how, so that this branch of the 
art of cookery deserves very careful attention. A busy and economical house- 
wife will sometimes say she has no time or money for sauces, when as a matter of 
fact she cannot afford to do without them, for, by using flavorings is the best way 
to induce the system to take plain food with relish; and when we say this, we are 
not unmindful of the old saying that "hunger is the best sauce." Animals 
certainly would hardly be considered over particular, and yet they have been 
known to starve in the experimenter's hands rather than eat a nutritious food 
from which the flavor had been extracted and of which they had become tired. 
We are convinced that poor people especially are too much inclined to neglect 
the very important matter of flavorings and relishes for their food. 

The Utensils. — To make sauces successfully, proper utensils should be pro- 
vided. The most essential are wooden spoons and round bottomed sauce-pans. 
It is very difficult to prevent lumps in a sauce if it has to be made with a pointed 
spoon and a flat bottomed pan. All utensils must, of course, be scrupulously 
clean. 

Herbs, etc. — Do not be appalled at the number of ingredients, like thyme, 
mace, parsley, etc., called for in a recipe. A few cents will buy enough of all these 
things to last for a year, and the good cook aims to keep a small supply of all 
flavoring herbs on hand; but if you do not have them all, very good results may 
be produced with less. 

Thickening. — The most common thickening for sauce is flour. The quantity 
generally used is 1 ounce, or a heaping tablespoon to a pint of liquid; though 2 or 
3 times that is needed to make a sauce thick enough to adhere to what it is 
poured over. Corn-starch or arrowroot is often used instead of flour, and makes 
a smooth and more delicate sauce. All sauces containing flour or any other form 
of starch for thickening, must boil, and must be stirred until it boils, or the starch 
will settle to the bottom and make lumps, instead of thickening the whole. Al- 
though the starch swells, and thickens the liquid even before the boiling point 
is reached, even in this pulverized form the starch needs to cook 10 minutes at 
least, to be made digestible ; it should be remembered that all starch needs at 
least that. There is some difference in the quality of flour and it does not 
thicken the same at one time as another. Dry flour must never be mixed with 
hot liquid unless it is intended to form lumps; but it must first be stirred to a 
smooth paste with cold liquid, and then the hot poured over it, or it must be 
mixed with a little melted fat over the fire when hot, or cold liquid can be grad- 
ually added. As a general rule, the following is the best way to mix all flour 
sauces : Melt the fat, ,stir in the flour, and when they are well mixed, and there 
are no lumps, add liquid gradually, on or off the fire, stirring continuously till all 
boils. Sometimes the flour is cooked in the fat until it takes a brown color, more 
or less dark. Sauces thus made have a fine flavor, and are smooth and free from 
grease. All the different kinds of brown sauces are made by using brown stock, 
browning the butter, and using various seasoning materials. As flour, when 
cooked into brown roux does not thicken quite as much as when uncooked, rather 
more is needed. 

Eggs are also used to thicken sauces, sometimes the yolk only, sometimes 

(85) 



86 SAUCES FOR PISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 

both yolk and white, and both with and without the addition of flour. They 
must be well stirred and never allowed to heat to boiling, as the yolk then hard- 
ens, and will not mix with the sauce; but they must be heated enough to slightly 
coagulate the albumen, or the sauce does not thicken. To pour boiling water 
very gradually over the eggs in a basin is often sufficient. The safest way to 
cook an egg sauce is in a basin or pitcher standing in a pan of boiling water, or 
in a bain marie made on purpose; but an ordinary sauce-pan can be used if care 
is exercised. On the least appearance of "curdling," the sauce should be lifted 
from the fire, poured into a cold basin, and stirred. Sauces are best cooked in a 
double boiler to guard against scorching them in the least, which should be care- 
fully avoided. 

About coloring for sauces, it may be said that they should as a rule be of 
some decided color. In order to get these decided colors, artificial coloring mat- 
ter is often used. Brown is the most common and the most harmless, for it is 
produced by roasted flour, sugar or vegetables, which add to the flavor as well as 
appearance, if not carried to the point of burning. Onion skins contain much 
coloring of a harmless kind. Home-made brown roux is to be preferred to that 
which is bought, and is much cheaper. Milk, cream, or white stock are used in 
white sauces. Lobster spawn gives a brilliant scarlet. Spinach green is always 
harmless, and is the only green suitable for kitchen use, as many greens contain 
arsenic. Other harmless colors are given in our article on frosting for cake. 

Good fresh butter only should be used for first rate sauces. Inferior or rancid 
butter should never be used; it is not as good as fresh beef dripping or fat. 
Where economy is studied, it is better to use less butter and have that good, than 
to buy a large quantity of cheap cooking butter. Meat should always be suffi- 
ciently fat to "cook itself," that is, it should furnish enough oil for the gravy — if 
it does not, it is poor meat. Good salad oil is much used in salads, and dishes 
made of dry cooked meats, as the gravy is mostly served with the hot meat at 
dinner. 

Serve hot. — Gravies and sauces should be sent to the table very hot. Being 
made in small quantities, they are more liable to cool quickly than if they were in 
a larger body. If made before the moment of serving, they should be kept in a 
sauce-pan of boiling water; a fish kettle makes a good improvised bain marie. 

Roux (pronounced Roo). — Brown Roux, for thickening gravies and sauces, is 
made by melting butter in a stew-pan and adding an equal quantity of flour. 
Stir constantly while it is browning, so that it will not burn; when of a nice yel- 
lowish brown, put it in jars, cover tightly, and keep it in a dry dark place. It is 
then ready to use at any time by taking 1 or 2 heaping spoonfuls, according to 
the quantity of soup, and stirring it in while the soup is boiling, and it will 
instantly thicken. This is the Brown Roux used by foreign cooks. The White 
Roux is made in the same manner, but only cooked together for a few minutes 
without browning. Many prefer the bits of butter rolled in flour, and used as 
occasion requires; then there is no danger of rancidity or waste, as there might 
be if a quantity of roux was prepared and it was not needed for use, as expected. 

SAUCES. 

Anchovy Sauce. — Take 1 cup of drawn butter sauce, and add 1 tablespoon of 
anchovy paste or extract. 

Aspic Jelly. — Take a tablespoon of good extract of meat; put 2 quarts of 
water to it, and add a small onion cut finely, or a bit of garlic, a pinch of celery- 
seed, a sprig of thyme, a carrot cut finely, with the rind of a lemon, and a few 
drops of tarragon vinegar. Let all boil slowly together until the vegetables are 
soft. Have 2 large tablespoons of gelatine soaking in cold water enough to cover, 
and add when the vegetables are done. Stir in the softened gelatine until it is 
dissolved, and add the juice of the lemon, with the whites of 2 eggs slightly 
beaten; now let come to a boil, then set back on the range for 15 minutes. Strain 
through a jelly-bag until clear, pour into a mould, and place on ice. Aspic jelly 
is used as a garnish for various meat dishes. A plain lemon jelly made with 
gelatine, answers every purpose for decorations, instead of this elaborate jelly. 



SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 8? 

Bechamel or White Sauce. — Put % a cup of butter in a sauce-pan and let it 
soften; mix with it 2 tablespoons of flour, then add 1 pint of milk; set the sauce- 
pan in a larger one containing hot water, stir constantly until it thickens, and 
let it scald; rub out the lumps, and season with pepper and salt. This can be 
used as a foundation for many other sauces. A few bits of celery, sprigs of 
parsley and a little nutmeg can be added, with a sliced onion, if desired, for 
flavor; scald 15 minutes, strain through cloth to remove the onion, etc., and send 
to the table. It is often made with ^ milk and % stock. 

BORDEAUX SAUCE. 

2 quarts of cider vinegar. 1 ounce of turmeric. 1 heaping tablespoon of salt. 

2 quarts finely chopped 1 teaspoon celery seed. 1 teaspoon of ground mustard. 

green tomatoes. 1 teaspoon ground ginger. 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper. 

2 quarts finely chopped 1 teaspoon ground cloves. 1 heaping tablespoon of sugar. 

cabbage. 

Mix all together and cook until soft, stirring often to prevent sticking to the 
sauce-pan. Cork tightly in wide mouthed bottles, and keep in a dry, cool place. 
A good meat sauce. 

Bread Sauce. — Dry white bread or rolls thoroughly in the oven, but do not 
brown them; then roll on the moulding board, put it in the fine colander, and 
sift through the finer crumbs. Put the fine crumbs in a sauce-pan, and for each 
cup, add 2 cups stock or water, a slice of onion, with pepper and salt; simmer 20 
minutes. In the meantime put a piece of butter the size of an egg in the small 
frying-pan, and when melted, add the coarser crumbs of bread; stir continually 
until they are a nice golden brown. Take the onion from the sauce, add the 
browned bread crumbs, and serve in a sauce-boat. This sauce can be made with 
fresh sweet milk instead of stock, and is served with game. 

Brown Sauce. — Fry 1 tablespoon of chopped onion in 1 tablespoon of butter; 
let this brown, but not burn, and then add 1 heaping tablespoon of flour; stir 
thoroughly and then add (a little at a time) 1 cup hot stock, stirring rapidly 
until it is smooth and thick. Season to taste with pepper and salt, let it simmer 
5 minutes; remove the onion by straining the sauce. Xieave out the onion if its 
flavor is not liked. Color with caramel. This will serve as the foundation for 
many sauces by using various flavoring materials. 

Drawn Butter Sauce.— Put 2 tablespoons of butter into a sauce-pan and melt 
it, but do not let it turn brown; then add 1 tablespoon of flour and mix well; 
then add (a little at a time) 1 cup of hot water, or white stock if you have it, 
stirring it thoroughly. When smooth, add 1 large tablespoon of butter, cut in 
pieces and stir it in thoroughly. Add pepper and salt to season, and strain it if 
not perfectly smooth. This can be used as the foundation for many other sauces. 
A few drops of lemon juice or vinegar can be added by those who want it acid, 
and a little finely cut parsley can be added also if desired. 

Maitre d' Hotel Butter. — Melt a teacup of butter in a sauce-pan; stir into it 
a tablespoon of corn-starch, then a pint of hot water; stir well so that it will be 
smooth. Add the strained juice of a lemon, a saltspoon of cayenne; salt to taste 
and add 2 large spoons of chopped parsley. It is served with meat or boiled fish. 

Butter, Montpelier. — Water-cress, fresh butter, pepper, or cayenne and salt 
are needed for this. Pick the leaves from the cress, which must be green and 
fresh, chop them finely, dry them in a cloth and mince again; then thoroughly 
mix them with fresh butter until it is of a bright green, seasoning with the 
pepper, cayenne and salt. This is used as an appetizer, for spreading croutons, 
or to make a garnish for savory dishes. 



88 SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 

Horseradish Butter. — Thoroughly mix equal parts of horseradish and butter, 
pass through a sieve and it is ready for use. 

Garlic or Tarragon Butter can be prepared the same way, regulating the 
flavor by the proportion of butter used to the other ingredients. 

Nut Butters.— -Peanuts, hazel nuts, filberts or other nuts can be pounded, 
mixed with butter, and then passed through a sieve. The strength can be regu- 
lated by the proportions used. They are delicious and easily made. 

Scented Butter. — Butter can be worked in a bowl with a few drops of the es- 
sence of any scent desired, then passed through a sieve, and it is ready for use. 

Caper Sauce e — Melt a cup of butter in a sauce-pan, stir in 2 tablespoons of 
flour, then add a pint of hot water, stirring rapidly while it boils and thickens; 
add a little salt if needed, a trifle of white pepper, and about a gill of pickled 
capers. Caper sauce is served with boiled fish, boiled mutton and lamb. 

Mock Capers. — Pick full grown seeds of nasturtiums, but which have not 

turned yellow, leaving 2 inches of the stem attached; wash them, put in a glass 

jar, add vinegar enough to cover, and in 7 or 8 days they can be used. 

Capers are the unopened buds of a low trailing shrub growing in Asia and Africa, and 
it is now cultivated in Europe. They are pickled in vinegar and salt before being imported, 
and are used to flavor sauces and vinegars. They have a pleasant pungent taste, and pos- 
sess both stimulant and laxative properties. They are sometimes colored green by the use 
of copper vessels, producing a poisonous adulteration. This can be detected by inserting a 
polished piece of steel or iron, and if copper is present it will coat the metal in a short time, 
the same as described for pickles. The hyssop of Scripture is a variety of caper. 

Cauliflower Sauce. — Make a drawn butter sauce with part cream and to it 
add boiled cauliflower, cut into small dice. Nice for fried or boiled fowls. 

Celery Sauce. — Take 6 sticks of celery and cut the white part into pieces % 
inch long; cook them in salted water for 20 minutes, pour off the water and cover 
them with 1 pint of milk; boil until the celery is tender — about 15 minutes; add 
an even tablespoon of flour and a piece of butter the size of an egg; rub the flour 
smooth with a little cold milk; season with salt and cayenne to taste. Boil 2 
minutes to thicken. 

Chestnut Sauce. — Take 2 cups shelled chestnuts, and blanch them by putting 
them for 3 minutes into boiling water and then taking off the skin; cook till 
soft in salted water, and then mash very fine. Put 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 
tablespoon of flour into a saucepan, and cook till brown"; add it to the chestnuts, 
stir it in well, cook 3 minutes, and season to taste with pepper and salt. Make a 
gravy of the drippings of the poultry, stir in the chestnuts, and serve. Good for 
roast turkey. 

CHUTNEE SAUCE. 

1 cup granulated sugar. 15 sour apples. 1 large onion. 

2 cups vinegar. 1 clove of garlic. % teacup raisins, seeded and chopped. 
y 2 tablespoon ground ginger. M teaspoon mustard. 

Peel, core and slice the apples, and stew soft in just enough vinegar to cover 
them; then mash finely. Chop the onions and garlic finely and add, with the su- 
gar, raisins, salt, ginger and mustard; scald all together and set away till next 
day; then add the vinegar, cold, and mix all together thoroughly. Bottle and 
cork tightly, and keep in a cool, dark place. Good for meat or fish. Splendid. 

Cranberry Sauce. — To serve with roasted turkey: A pint of cranberries, *4 
teacup of sugar, and % teacup of water is about the right proportion. Stew the 
cranberries in the water until they are tender; then add the sugar. 

Cream Sauce. — Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce-pan, and stir in 2 table- 
spoons of flour; add a little salt and a little white pepper, then add gradually a 



SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 89 

pint of hot cream. Scald the cream by putting it in a pitcher; set the pitcher in 
a tin dish or kettle of hot water, and set on the hot stove. Cream sauce is good 
to serve with an omelet, or any kind of boiled fish. 

Cucumber Sauce. — Peel and chop finely 2 or 3 cucumbers (they must be so young 
that the seeds are small); chop one small onion and add to the cucumbers. 
Season with salt, pepper, cayenne and vinegar; this is better liked by some peo- 
ple than the navy sauce. • 

CURRANT SAUCE. 

1 cup of soup-stock. 1 tumbler of currant jelly. Juice and rind of 1 lemon. 

1 teaspoon of salt. 1 mustardspoon of cloves and black pepper. 

Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a sauce-pan with the above ingredi- 
ents, and let them come to the boiling point; then add 1 tablespoon of corn- 
starch wet with a little water; stir until it thickens, then send to the table. 
Good with game and poultry. 

Curry Sauce. — Slice thin 1 carrot, 2 onions, 1 head of celery and stew in 2 
tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of water, until tender; put in a pinch of 
mace, a teaspoon of curry powder, and one of thyme leaves; add 1 pint of water 
and a bay-leaf; let it come to the boiling point; thicken with a tablespoon of 
flour, strain and serve. 

Egg Sauce. —Take three hard-boiled eggs, chop fine, and add to 1 cup of 
drawn butter sauce. Good for fish. 

Fennel Sauce. — Mix 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 cup water to a smooth batter; 
put into a saucepan, add 2 tablespoons of butter, season with salt, and keep stir- 
ring one way until all are melted; add 1 tablespoon of fennel, chopped fine and 
free from dirt, simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, and serve. Excellent for oily fish, like 
salmon or mackerel. 

FISH SAUCE. 

1 saltspoon of cayenne. 2 tablespoons of -walnut catsup. 1 bruised garlic. 

1 qt. best cider vinegar. 1 teaspoon of salt. 

Mix all together. Put in large bottles, after standing a week, stirring every 
day; cork tightly. Use with any fish. 

Hollandaise Sauce. — Rub % cup of butter to a cream, add the yolks of 2 eggs 
(one at a time) and beat well. Stir in the juice of half a lemon, 1 saltspoon of 
salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. When ready to serve, add % cup of boiling 
water; place the bowl in a pan of boiling water, or on the top of the tea-kettle, 
and scald until as thick as custard, stirring all the time. This sauce is served 
with fish or meat. 

Horseradish Sauce. — Thoroughly mix 4 tablespoons of grated horseradish 
with 1 teaspoon of pounded sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, % teaspoon of pepper and 

2 teaspoons made mustard; moisten it with sufficient vinegar to give it the con- 
sistency of cream; 3 or 4 tablespoons of cream added will improve its appear- 
ance and flavor. To heat it to serve with hot roast beef, put in a bain marie, or 
put it in a cup or jar and place it in a pan of boiling water; make it hot, but do 
not allow it to boil, or it will curdle. This is a great improvement on the old- 
fashioned way of serving cold, scraped horse-radish with hot roast beef. Of 
course with cold meat the sauce should be served cold. 

Horseradish Sauce, No. 2. — Cook in a double boiler for 15 minutes, % CU P 
cracker crumbs, % cup grated horseradish, and 2 cups milk; add 1 large table- 
spoon of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Use freshly grated horseradish 
and rolled cracker crumbs. This is very appetizing. 



90 SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 

No. 3. — Take 2 cups horseradish grated fine, 1 hard-boiled egg pulverized; add 

sweet cream, and a little butter; salt and vinegar to taste. 

Horseradish is a native of Europe and grows readily in damp ground. It should never 
be preserved by drying, because of the great volatility of its oil, but the root should be 
kept moist by burying it in the sand. Its volatile oil evaporates so rapidly that even 
when scraped for the table it almost immediately spoils by exposure to the air. It stim- 
ulates the appetite and aids digestion, but is most unwholesome when taken on an empty 
stomach. 

Lemon Sauce. — For a boiled fowl take the chicken liver boiled and mashed 
fine; add the juice and pulp of 1 lemon (without the seeds) and add it to 1 cup of 
drawn butter sauce. 

Lobster Sauce. — Take the meat from the tail and claws of a boiled lobster, 
chop it into dice }£ inch in size. Add it to a drawn butter sauce, and season 
with cayenne pepper, salt and lemon juice. Adding a teaspoon of lobster butter 
will make it a bright red. Good for any fish. 

Maud ram Sauce. — Take cucumbers, pare them, and chop in small pieces; 
take half the quantity of young onions and cut them fine; add the juice of a 
lemon and a dessertspoon of vinegar. This is very good with any roast meat. 

Matelote Sauce. — Peel and cut finely 2 large or 4 small onions, and fry them 
in a little butter until they are a rich brown, but do not burn them; then add 
about half a teacup of butter. When it is all melted, stir in a tablespoon of flour, 
and when it is well browned in the butter, add half a pint of cold water; stir well 
and let come to a boil. Season with ground white pepper, a little nutmeg, a salt- 
spoon of sugar, and salt to taste; rub all through the fine colander and return to 
the sauce-pan to keep hot until wanted. Good with meats. 

Miss Maitland's Mayonnaise. — Take the raw yolks of 2 eggs, % teaspoon of 
salt, a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of white pepper, a mustardspoon of made mus- 
tard, % teaspoon of lemon juice, % pint of olive oil. After all is thoroughly 
blended, add 2 tablespoons of tarragon vinegar. Good with fish. 

Milk Sauce {Plain). — Melt % cup of butter in a sauce-pan; stir in 2 table- 
spoons of flour; then pour in and stir rapidly 1 pint of scalded milk; season with 
salt and white pepper. 

Mint Sauce. — Take 2 tablespoons sugar, 3^ cup of finely cut mint, % cup vin- 
egar; mix and let stand 1 or 2 hours before serving, to well season the vinegar 
with the mint. Use the leaves and tender tips only; wash them in slightly 
salted water; then shake off the water, gather tightly in the hand, and cut finely 
with the scissors. 

Mushroom Sauce. — Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a sauce-pan 
with 1 heaping tablespoon of sifted flour. Soften the butter and mix thoroughly 
with the flour; then add 1 pint of hot stock, broth, or hot water; boil up, and add 
4 teaspoons of mushroom catsup, and the juice of 1 lemon; beat an egg thor- 
oughly and stir into the sauce; remove immediately from the fire to prevent 
curdling. This sauce is served with poultry and game. 

Mustard Sauce. — To 1 cup of drawn butter sauce, add a little cayenne pepper 
and 3 teaspoons of prepared mustard. 

Prepared Mustard. — Take 2 heaping tablespoons of ground mustard and add 
1 teaspoon of sugar and % teaspoon of salt; wet it with good vinegar and stir it 
to a smooth paste; then add more vinegar and cook it until it thickens like 
paste, adding more vinegar until of the consistency required. 

No. 2. — Put 3 large tablespoons of ground mustard into a bowl, and pour on 
enough warm water to make a stiff paste; rub smooth, add }£ cup vinegar, a 



SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 91 

pinch of salt, and the beaten yolks of 2 eggs; set the mixture in boiling water, 
and stir constantly until it thickens; then add butter the size of an egg, and con- 
tinue the stirring until it is dissolved. Splendid. 

French Mustard. — Use 4 tablespoons of the best English mustard, 2 teaspoons 
of salad oil, 2 teaspoons of white sugar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of white 
pepper, 1 small garlic minced very fine, and tarragon vinegar to mix to a smooth 
paste. Put the mustard into a bowl and add the oil, rubbing it in with a wooden 
spoon until it is all absorbed. Wet with the vinegar until you have a stiff paste; 
add the salt, pepper, garlic and sugar, and work all together thoroughly, wetting 
little by little with the vinegar until you can beat it as you do cake batter. 
Beat 5 minutes very hard; put into wide mouthed bottles — empty French 
mustard bottles are the thing, if you happen to have them — pour a little oil on 
the top, cork tightly and set away in a cool place. It will be well mixed and 
ready for use in 2 days. 

French Mustard, No. 2. — Take 2 tablespoons mustard, pour on it just enough 
boiling hot water to make a paste;, then add a teaspoon of salt, and 1 of sugar, 
and add a few drops of salad oil if you have it, a little butter, then a tablespoon 
of vinegar. 

German Mustard. — Take 8 tablespoons of mustard, 4 tablespoons white sugar, 
4 tablespoons salt, 1 saltspoon of cayenne pepper, 4 tablespoons of butter, and 
juice of 1 large raw onion; mix all well together, and moisten with a little 
vinegar. 

The flour of mustard in common use is ground from the seed of black mustard (Sinapis 
nigra). It possesses an agreeable pungency, and is the best stimulant employed to impart 
strength to the digestive organs. In its present form it has only been in use about 150 
years, although it was used long before in a coarsely powdered state. Mixed with hot 
water, it is a strong emetic. In moderate quantities, both mustard and red pepper are 
useful with indigestible foods, like lobster, etc., as they are stimulant and aid in the 
digestion. Mustard is best mixed with cold water, as hot water impairs its essential 
properties. It is well to prepare it in small quantities, as it is better when freshly made. 

Condiments.— These are used to give a relish to food and gratify the taste. The 
principal condiments are salt, vinegar, oil, butter, herbs, spices, ginger, pepper and 
mustard. Some of these, like mustard, are food and condiment combined. When taken 
in moderation they are conducive to health, but used to excess, they are highly injurious. 
Nutmeg is injurious to many people, causing what is called heart-burn. 

Navy Sauce. — Chop finely 2 or 3 large onions, and season highly with salt, 
pepper and vinegar. This is fine for those who like raw onions, and is served 
with oysters raw or cooked. 

Nut Sauce. — This is made by pounding to a paste, in a mortar, the meats of 
any kind of wild nuts (hazel nuts, hickory nuts, butter-nuts, etc.) and mixing the 
paste with an equal amount of nice butter. It is served with game, or poultry. 

Olive Sauce. — Extract the salt from 1 doz. olives by soaking them 3^ hour in 
warm water; then pare them close to the stone, round and round, as you would an 
apple, to remove the stone. Then put the olive into % pint of brown sauce, sim- 
mer 10 to 15 minutes, and serve. Good with roast duck or other game. 

Onion Sauce. — Take 3 good sized onions, boil them till soft, pulp through a 
sieve, and mix it into 1 cup white sauce. Good with mutton or lamb chop. 

Oyster Sauce. — Blanch small oysters, drain, and dry in a towel, and add them 
to drawn butter sauce; put in a very little lemon juice or tarragon vinegar, let it 
come to the boiling point, and serve. It goes with fish, boiled turkey or chicken. 

Parsley Sauce. — Take 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, and add it to 1 cup of 
hot drawn butter sauce. Color with spinach green if you have it, as that will 
improve the appearance. 

Pickle Sauce. — Take 2 or 3 tablespoons of finely chopped cucumber pickles, 
and add them to a drawn butter sauce. 



02 SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 

Sauce Piquante. — Add 1 tablespoon each of chopped cucumber pickles, capers 
and vinegar, to 1 cup of brown sauce. 

Potato Sauce. — Grate 3 or 4 large potatoes, wash out the starch, and dry a 
little in a napkin; chop a small onion and mix with the raw potato. Season 
highly with salt, cayenne and vinegar. Good with raw or cooked oysters. 

Pepper Sauce. — Break in pieGes 6 pods of red pepper, 3 dozen black pepper- 
corns broken in a mortar, 2 tablespoons of white sugar, and 1 quart of best vin- 
egar. Scald the vinegar in which the sugar has been dissolved, pour it over the 
peppers, put in a jar, and steep k a fortnight; strain and bottle. This is served 
with raw oysters, or fish, and is a fine addition to various salads. 

Raisin Sauce. — Cut in two and remove the seeds from 1 lb. of large, choice 
raisins; put over the fire in a pint of hot water and stew slowly until tender; then 
add 1 pint of granulated sugar, % pint of good vinegar, a pinch of salt, and a tea- 
spoon of mixed ground cinnamon and cloves. Boil all together 10 minutes, and 
cork well in wide mouthed bottles. An excellent sauce for any cold meats. 

Sauce Robert. — Cut finely 3 large onions, and fry in a piece of butter as large 
as an egg; caramel a tablespoon of sugar and add to it ~% a pint of water, and 2 
tablespoons of good cider or wine vinegar; add salt, ground white pepper, a salt- 
spoon of dry mustard, and a pinch of pulverized sage. Boil well together and add 
a teaspoon of corn-starch dissolved in a little water. This is good with most 
kinds of meat, game, or fish. 

Shrimp Sauce. — Take % of a cup of chopped, picked, boiled shrimps, and add 
it to 1 cup drawn butter sauce; let it merely simmer, without boiling, and add a 
pinch of cayenne, and a few drops of lemon juice the last thing. 

Sauce Supreme. — Chop 3 mushrooms finely, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 
the juice of half a lemon; mix it into 2 cups bechamel sauce, let all simmer 10 
minutes, rub through a strainer, and it is ready for use. 

Tartar Sauce. — Take 2 tablespoons each of Worcestershire sauce and vinegar, 
1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 saltspoons of salt; put them into a bowl and 
set in a pan of hot water to heat. Put % cup of butter in a sauce-pan, brown it, 
strain, and add to the other ingredients. Serve it hot with boiled fish. 

Sauce Tartare. — Put the yolks of 4 eggs into a sauce-pan, and add %, teaspoon 
salt and 1 teaspoon mustard; then add alternately 1 teaspoon each of olive oil 
and tarragon vinegar (adding them very gradually) until it is of the right con- 
sistency. Then add 2 chopped shallots, or instead 2 tablespoons chopped pickled 
onions and gherkins. This sauce is often made too acid. It goes well with fried 
oysters or fish, or with boiled tongue or codfish. 

Tomato Sauce. — To 6 tomatoes add 2 cloves, pepper, salt, and a sprig of parsley; 
stew 30 minutes, and strain through a sieve; into a saucepan put butter the size 
of an egg, set over the fire, and when it bubbles well, add 1 large tablespoon flour; 
when well cooked (keeping it stirred and mixed well) add the strained tomato; 
stir until smooth, and serve. This can also be made with canned tomatoes. 

Sauce Yeloute\ — Heat in melted butter 1 pound of veal, cut finely, and any 
bits of fowl you may have, together with 12 good-sized mushrooms; do not let 
them brown; then put them into a saucepan with two carrots and onions cut 
finely, a large tablespoon of flour, salt, pepper, a little mixed spice and as much 
veal gravy as will cover them. Let it boil up, skim off the fat, and let it simmer 
for an hour and a half; strain, and keep it covered for use. 



SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 93 

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE. 

1 oz. of cayenne. 1 oz. black pepper. 6 cloves of garlic (minced). 
6 anchovies (mashed). 1 grated nutmeg. 1 oz. cloves (pulverized). 

2 qts. vinegar. 1 oz. of salt. 

Mix all together and let it stand in a jug for 2 weeks; then strain and bottle for 
use. It must be tightly corked and kept in a dry, cool place. 

WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, NO. 2. 

3 teaspoons cayenne. 3 teaspoons walnut catsup. 3 onions, chopped fine. 

3 anchovies, chopped fine. 1 mustardspoon of powdered 1 qt. of good cider or wine 

cloves. vinegar. 

Put all together in a stone jar and set in a kettle of water to become scalding 

hot; then let it stand in the jar closely covered 2 days; bottle after straining, 

and cork tightly. 

Walnut Sauce. — A half peck of walnuts young enough to crush easily — they 

can be rolled on a board or crushed in a mortar. Add 2 quarts of vinegar and a 

gill of salt. Stir and mash together for a week; then boil in a porcelain kettle, 

adding a heaping teaspoon of ground black pepper; the same of cloves, 1 

grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. 

Boil all to a paste; if too thick to run from a bottle, add more vinegar to thin it. 

Keep corked tightly in a dark closet. Some cooks do not mash while cooking, 

but strain off the juice to bottle. Good with meats. 

CURRY POWDER. (Kitchener's.) 

3 oz. coriander seed. 3 oz. turmeric. 2 oz. cassia buds. 

1 oz. cayenne. 1 oz. mustard, ground. 1 oz. ground ginger. 

1 oz. allspice. 54 oz. fenugreek seed. 

Pulverize all together; bottle tight, and keep in a dark closet. Good for meats. 

CURRY POWDER. (White's.) 

*A lb. turmeric. 4 oz. cumin seed. 8 oz. coriander seed. 

4 oz. black pepper. 2 oz. ground ginger. 2 oz. cayenne. 
Y% oz. caraway seed. X A oz. cardamon seed. 

Pulverize and bottle as above. 

Herb Powder for Flavoring.— Dry in a moderate oven very carefully 2 oz. each 
of thyme, winter savory, parsley, sweet marjoram and lemon peel; then pound the 
lemon peel in a mortar separately with % oz. celery seed; then pound the herbs, 
mix all, pass through a fine sieve, and keep closely corked in a bottle. To use, 
add to each 2 pints of soup 1 teaspoon of the powder. 

Ragout Powder. — Take 1 oz. of lemon peel, dried and grated, 1 oz. each of 
black pepper and mustard, % oz. each of nutmeg, ginger, mace and cloves, all 
ground fine; 1 saltspoon cayenne pepper, and 4 tablespoons of salt. Thoroughly 
mix the ingredients together, pass through a fine sieve, and keep in closely 
corked bottle. Ragout or sauce is much improved by adding a teaspoon of the 
powder. 

Sassafras Powder. — Select sassafras leaves which are very young and tender, 
and dry them in a cool, airy place, spread out on white paper; then pound in a 
mortar till fine, pass through a hair sieve; bottle and cork tightly. They are 
used in gumbo and other soups, and in sauces. 

Flavored Vinegars. — These are a great addition to many dishes, like fish, 
sauces, salads, meats, etc. Keep them well corked, in a dry, cool place. 

Cayenne Vinegar. — Put into a glass bottle 2 cups vinegar and 1 tablespoon of 
cayenne pepper, let stand 4 weeks, strain, and bottle for use. It is useful for 
gargling sore throats, as well as for seasoning soups and sauces; but very little is 
needed at a time. 



94 SAUCES FOR FISH, SHELL-FISH AND MEATS. 

Celery Vinegar. — Put into a jar 2 pints celery, chopped fine; bring to a boil 
and pour on hot 2 pints good cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon each of sugar and 
salt; let it cool, cover and let it stand a fortnight; strain and bottle. 

Chili Vinegar. — Cut finely a quart of chili peppers, or any kind of ripe red 
peppers. Add a quart of vinegar and a tablespoon of salt; let it stand for a week, 
stirring daily; then strain and bottle for use. 

Cucumber Vinegar. — Pare,, slice, and put into a stone jar, 10 large or 12 small 
cucumbers; add 2 onions sliced, 1 tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of pepper, % 
teaspoon cayenne and 1 quart vinegar; let it stand 1 week, boil it up once, and 
when cold, strain through muslin, bottle and seal. Excellent for gravies, hashes, 
salads and cold meats. 

Elder-flower Vinegar. — Into 1 quart of good strong vinegar put 1 pint 
elder flowers free from the stalks; let stand 2 weeks in the sun or in a warm 
place; strain through flannel, and put up in quite small bottles. It can also be 
made by infusing the leaves, either fresh or dried, in the same way, the fresh 
being the best. The vinegar is used both in cookery and perfumery. 

Garlic Vinegar. — Into 1 quart of cold boiled vinegar put 2 oz. of finely 
chopped garlic; let stand 2 weeks, strain, and bottle for use. 

Shallot vinegar can be made the same way. 

Cress vinegar can be made by bruising in a mortar % oz. cress seed, and 
letting it stand 2 weeks in 1 quart of cold, boiled vinegar. 

Horseradish Vinegar. — Put into a bottle 1 quart vinegar, }£ lb. scraped 
horseradish, a pinch of cayenne andl teaspoon sugar; let stand 2 weeks, shaking 
daily; then strain and bottle. An excellent relish for cold beef, etc. 

Lemon Vinegar. — Put the vinegar in a glass bottle and add lemon peel; the 
rind of 1 lemon will flavor a pint of vinegar; let stand 2 weeks, then strain and 
bottle. Make Orange Vinegar the same way. 

Mint Vinegar. — Pick nice fresh mint from the stalks, fill a bottle or jar loosely 
with them, and then fill it full with vinegar; cover closely to exclude the air, and 
let stand 3 weeks; then strain, put into small bottles, and cork tightly. Excel- 
lent for roast meats, cold meats, soups, etc. 

Parsley vinegar can be prepared the same way, the principle being merely to 
let the herb soak in the vinegar until its flavor is extracted. 

Onion Vinegar. — Mince 6 large onions and add a tablespoon of salt, letting 
them stand for 5 or 6 hours. Take 1 quart of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar 
and pour over the onions; put in a jar, tie down the cover and let steep for a 
fortnight; then strain and bottle. This gives an onion flavor to meat sauces and 
gravies, when liked, without the trouble of cooking onions for each dinner. 

Tarragon Vinegar. — Take a handful of tarragon leaves just before the plant 
begins to bloom, and cover them with the best cider or wine vinegar (a quart 
is as much as would be needed for a year in a small family); let the leaves steep 
in the vinegar for a week, turning them every day; then strain, and bottle 
tightly. This is good in sauces for boiled fish or poultry. 

Other Flavored Vinegars. — Black Pepper Vinegar, Caper Vinegar, Capsicum 
Vinegar, Ginger Vinegar, Red Rose Vinegar, Curry Vinegar, Truffle Vinegar, 
White Pepper Vinegar and several others can be made by steeping about 1 oz. of 
the article in 1 pint of good vinegar for 2 weeks, to extract its flavor; then strain 
and bottle. Celery seed vinegar is made the same way, but first crush the seeds. 
Using a little more of any article increases the strength. 



MEATS. 

THE PROCESSES AND PRINCIPLES OF COOKING. 

" To be a good cook means the economy of our great-grandmothers, and the science of 
the modern chemist." — Buskin. 

Before taking up the subject of cooking meats, etc., it may be of both interest 
and profit to our readers to explain some of the fundamental principles which 
underlie the processes of cookery. It is a lamentable fact that of the great mul- 
titude of people who daily prepare food for human consumption, very many have 
no idea of the principles involved. And yet these principles are quite simple, 
and can be easily comprehended, and if they were well understood, immense 
amounts of food might be saved which are now spoiled in the cooking and thus 
rendered both unpalatable and indigestible. 

Broiling or Grilling. — This is an excellent mode of cooking tender, juicy 
meats, but is not suited to the coarser pieces of meat, neither is it an economical 
way of cooking, for it requires a bright, clear, coal fire, or fire of wood coals, and 
the juices and fat are, to a certain extent, wasted in the process. To broil suc- 
cessfully, the meat must be placed on a gridiron or broiler, put over the fire, and 
suddenly heated to crust the outside and keep in the juices as much as possible. 
Now let us examine the process a little. The elements in the meat with which 
we have to deal in attempting to cook it, are fibrin, albumen, gelatine, soluble salts 
and fat. Fibrin (i. e., fibres or muscles) swells and softens when subjected to 
moderate heat, but is hardened and contracted by intense heat. Albumen is 
another ingredient of meat. The most familiar instance of albumen is found in 
the white of an egg which is little else than albumen and water; the yolk con- 
tains albumen and water, with the addition of some oil and sulphur, and its 
albumen is of a rather different character and is called "vitellin." Any albumen 
is soluble in cold or warm water; it begins to coagulate at 145°, sets into a jelly 
at 160°, and becomes a tough, opaque mass at 212°, and then, with continued heat, 
gets hard and tenacious. 

Now the fibres of meat are surrounded by a. liquid which consists of water 
holding in solution albumen, just as it exists in an unboiled egg, and it also 
holds in solution many soluble salts, etc., which are of the highest possible value 
as articles of food. In preparing meat for the table, great care should be taken 
to prevent the escape of this precious juice, as the succulence and value of the 
meat largely depend on its retention. The best way to retain these juices is to 
coagulate the albumen on and near the surface of the meat. When quickly 
heated, this surface albumen coagulates and forms a thin film or crust, which is 
nearly impervious to water, and which keeps the juices inside the meat. When 
heated only moderately, on the other hand, no such crust is formed, the heat 
draws out the juices, and its tendency to do so is not counteracted by any surface 
crust at all. It will be evident, also, that the meat should be turned often in 
order that the crust may be formed all over its surface, and not merely on one 
side; but do not let the meat scorch. Now, when the .meat is quickly heated, a 
surface crust formed, and the juices imprisoned, the heat will generate steam 
from them which will cause the fibrin (muscular fibres) to swell and soften, and 
the meat will be rather puffy. The broiling should continue just long enough to 
start the juices and loosen the fibres, but if continued too long, the juice will 
gradually ooze through the outside crust and evaporate, while the albumen will 
harden clear through the meat, which will then become tough and indigestible. 
Never stick a fork or anything else into meat to see if it is done, as that will ruin 
it by letting out the juice, this letting out the juice being the very thing the 
intelligent cook seeks by all means to prevent. If the article is dipped in melted 
fat before putting it on the gridiron, it will help set the surface albumen quickly. 



96 MEATS. 

If it is very lean, or there is but little fat, it is well to draw it through a little 
melted butter or oil on a plate. For fish, it would be well to always do this, and 
the fish (not meat) may be sprinkled with salt and pepper before being dipped in 
the oil. Fish is also floured to prevent its sticking to the gridiron. 

When the meat is browned all over, and ceases to feel spongy, it is done. A 
little experience will show just the right time to stop the broiling; then allow it 
to rest for one minute on a very hot plate, and serve. Do not put any salt on the 
meat while it is cooking; the seasoning should be put on the meat after it is put 
on the hot platter. Remember, therefore, that the rules for broiling are always 
the same, viz.: a hot fire at first with a hot gridiron well greased, frequent 
turning, no holes made to see if the meat is done and so let out the juices. Also 
remember, that the smaller the article, the hotter the fire necessary, and that for 
larger ones a more moderate fire is needed, or hold it further away from the fire. 

Baking and Roasting. — These often do duty for one another, as the old 
method of roasting meat by hanging it in front of an open fire, is very little 
practiced now. Roasting proper is a wasteful method, as by it, meat usually 
shrinks from % to % in weight, but the taste is agreeable to most persons, and it 
is considered digestible. The first object is to harden the surface albumen, and 
so imprison the juices of the meat the same as in broiling. To do this, the fire 
and utensils must be very hot at first, and the heat can afterwards be lessened 
by cooling the oven. The smaller the joint, the higher the temperature to which 
it should be exposed, while the larger the joint, the smaller the fire, lest it should 
be burnt outside before it is cooked enough inside; but it should be hot at first 
and cooler afterwards. If the oven is only warm at first, the surface albumen 
will not be coagulated, the juices will escape, and the damage cannot afterwards 
be repaired. In a perfectly roasted joint the outside albumen should be thor- 
oughly hardened, but inside, the heat should only reach the stage which swells 
and softens the fibrin. If cooked more than this, the fibre becomes tough and 
separates into bundles which resist the teeth and digestive organs. 

Basting. — It is very important that the meat should be frequently basted — 
say every 10 to 20 minutes — and do it quickly, so as not to keep the oven door 
open longer than necessary. The drippings from the meat are the best thing 
with which to baste it; some cooks add some beef drippings. Owing to the heat 
of the oven, the outside surface soon becomes dry, and basting the meat covers it 
over with a thin film of fat which assists in imparting heat, while it checks the 
evaporation of the juices. Water is sometimes put in the dripping-pan to baste 
with, but it should be remembered that the water cannot be heated above 212°, 
while 280° or more is needed for proper baking; so that water should not be put 
in the pan at first. Use beef drippings or fat from the meat itself at first, and add 
a little water later, if it is used. If a frothed surface is desired, flour may be 
dredged upon it every time it is basted. When you baste it, look at the joint 
and see if one side is more brown than the other; if so, turn it around; also, it is 
well very often to turn it over. All game and poultry requires a hot, clear fire, 
frequent basting, and should be sent to the table direct from roasting. It should 
not be finished long before it is wanted, and then "kept hot." 

A basin of water in the oven will produce steam which will check the ten- 
dency to scorch and dry the meat. Hot, dry air is thirsty for water and will 
absorb it eagerly from any moist substance with which it comer in contact; but 
if the air is kept moist by keeping a pan of water in the oven, the tendency is 
overcome; water in the dripping-pan does the same thing. This, however, 
should not be relied on as a substitute for having the oven hot at first and cooler 
afterwards. Do not put in the water until after the strong heat at first has set 
the surface albumen of the meat. It is better not to use water with meat which 
is desired rare, or with small cuts, but only for large roasts which require long, 
slow cooking. 

Boiling. — This is the most common method of cooking food. To boil prop- 
erly is quite an art, and the principles underlying the process are as follows: 
Water boils at 212° F. in most places, but at high altitudes it boils at a lower 
temperature than that, because the air is lighter, and the pressure on top of the 
water being less, it more easily rises into vapor. People who move to a high alti- 
tude often notice that while the water is boiling, the food which they have in it 
does not seem to cook as rapidly as it did in a lower altitude, and this is the 



MEATS. 97 

reason — the water boils at a lower temperature, and therefore is not so hot. Wa- 
ter in a vacuum, relieved of the pressure of the air, will boil at about 100°; 6500 
feet above sea level it will boil at about 200°; at 9000 feet it boils at about 194°, 
and so on. Down in a mine, on the other hand, water boils at a higher tempera- 
ture than 212°, because the pressure of air on top is greater. Salt water boils 
at a higher temperature than fresh water, its boiling point being about 224° or 
less, according to its saltness. No one can make the temperature of water hotter 
than 212° while it remains in an open kettle, and remember that it is equally hot 
whether it boils fast or slow. The water at the bottom of the kettle is turned to 
vapor by contact with the hot metal, and it rises toward the surface; the bubbles 
are condensed by the colder water towards the top, if the water only simmers, 
but in boiling water the bubbles of vapor rise to the surface, burst, and escape 
in the form of steam. It is these bubbles of rising vapor which cause the "bub- 
bling" of the water. The active bubbling which takes place in violent boiling 
may sometimes be of service in cooking, although it is more often objectionable. 
When water boils violently it is a great waste of fuel; and many of the more 
volatile and savory particles of food are carried away in the steam, leaving the 
remainder less nourishing and palatable. Violent boiling, therefore, is not de- 
sirable in cooking. JSow when meat is boiled to be eaten, what we want is to 
have the meat tender, and have it retain its flavor and juices as much as possible. 
For this reason, meat should be plunged at first into boiling water, and that will 
coagulate the albumen on the surface, as explained about broiling; the thin film 
of albumen thus formed at the surface of the meat, may not be thicker than 
cotton cloth, but it is nearly impervious to water, and it will serve to hold the 
juices inside the meat. When that film is once formed, the boiling should be 
checked, for it is as undesirable to toughen the albumen clear through the meat, 
as it is to prevent the escape of the juices. After plunging the meat into 
the boiling water, therefore, check the boiling and let it merely simmer, 
until it is gradually heated through to the center sufficiently to cook it, but 
not enough to harden the albumen. While the temperature of boiling water is 
212°, that of simmering water should be about 160° to 180°. Cooked in this way, 
however, meat should be cooked longer than by the old method of rapid boiling. 

The common way among many who do not understand the principles involved 
in cooking, is to pUt the meat in cold water first, and then bring it to a boil after- 
wards; but this is the worst possible way, for it leaves the meat dry and flavor- 
less, because, there being no barrier or crust on the surface to hold in the juices, 
they are dissolved and drawn out of the meat by the water. When meat is 
boiled for soup, however, the very object aimed at is to extract all the juices, 
albumen and gelatine possible, and for that purpose it should be cut into small 
pieces, to multiply surfaces, put into cold water at first, heated slowly, and al- 
lowed to simmer, as that method will draw out the juices and nutriment of the 
meat. It is well for cooks to understand the results of these different processes, 
and then they can intelligently select either method according to the object they 
have in view. 

If there are any exceptions to the above principles for boiling meat, they are 
in the case of sinewy and tendonous meat when gelatine is abundant, for to make 
gelatine soft and eatable, long continued boiling is necessary. Thus calf's head 
and feet, shins of beef, knuckles of veal, cow heel, tripe, etc., are usually best put 
into cold water first, and boiled longer than other meat. 

A good practical method for boiling meat is to put it first into boiling water, 
being sure to have enough water to cover the meat. Of course, putting a large 
piece of cold meat into the water will at first stop it from boiling, so keep it on 
the fire a short time (say 10 minutes) with the lid on; then take off the lid and 
skim it. As soon as the water begins to boil thoroughly again, the surface albu- 
men will be coagulated; then lift the kettle off the fire on to the side of the 
range, so as to stop the boiling at once. Leave it there a short time — say 15 to 
20 minutes — so that the meat may get hot clear through. This will prevent the 
meat at the finish from being overcooked outside, and blue and uncooked in the 
middle. Then place it on the fire again and let it simmer. The time for simmer- 
ing should be from 10 to 12 minutes for every pound of meat. All the best ex- 
perience, however, agrees in this, that a long, slow boiling produces the best 
results, so that no exact rule can be given as to the time. An even teaspoon of 



m MEATS. 

salt can be put into the water in which the meat simmers; it is enough to season 
the meat on the outside, and more can be added when it is eaten, and, besides,, 
most of the meat sauces contain a quantity of salt which serves as flavoring. 

After meat is put into boiling water, a scum will rise to the surface; this should 
be skimmed off and thrown away. It is one of the very few things in the processes 
of cooking which should be thrown away, as it is wasted f ood„ The scum is the 
albumen which is drawn out of the meat, coagulated by the heat, and rises to the 
surface. Although the greater part will rise at first, do not fail to skim during 
the whole process; if any is left, it will attach itself to the meat, and spoil its 
appearance. 

Salt meat should be put in cold water after being washed thoroughly in fresh 
water or milk; the water should then be slowly brought up to the simmering 
point. This will draw out the salt. Remember that all salted and dried meats 
should simmer slowly, as rapid boiling hardens them. All trimmings of meat 
should be used in the soup-kettle, or simmered in a little water and made into 
gravy. 

In boiling an egg, what we want is to set the white, without making the albu- 
men tough and hard; the best way, therefore, is to always keep the water below 
the boiling point — nearer that of simmering water. Some people put the egg in 
cold water and take it off as soon as it boils. Others prefer to put it first into a 
sauce-pan of boiling water, and then take off the pan and let it cook as the water 
cools. It is a mistake to boil even a hard boiled egg an instant longer than is 
enough to set the albumen in the white and yolk. 

Recollect that vegetables require boiling, and meat only simmering ; there- 
fore, you can not, as a rule, boil vegetables with meat without spoiling one of 
them. Vegetables should be put into boiling water at first, and kept there. 

Flour foods such as macaroni, sago, rice, cornflour and flour puddings, should 
be kept all the time in boiling water, in order to burst the starch granules. The 
mechanical action of fast bubbling water is often useful here, partly in prevent- 
ing the grains of rice, etc., from settling to the bottom of the pan. 

Stewing. — This is a process often confounded by ill-informed people with boil- 
ing a long time, and even moderately good cooks often confound it with " sim- 
mering." A stew, properly so called, is when both meat and juice — that is, all 
the liquor — are eaten together. Stewing invariably requires a heat much below 
that of boiling water; 135° to 160° is about stewing point. Whatever is stewed, 
parts with much of its goodness to the surrounding liquor, which should not, 
therefore, be wasted. And yet it is not desirable in stewing to extract all the 
juices from the meat, as is done in making soup or beef -tea; part should be barely 
coagulated, and thus retained in the meat in as tender a condition as possible. 
To accomplish this, a bain-marie or double boiler is an excellent thing to use. If 
you have not this, it will be a good idea to extemporize one, by setting one dish 
inside another, something like a carpenter's glue-pot. A pudding-basin, with a 
wide projecting rim, may be set into another pan just large enough for it to drop 
into and rest upon its rim. Put the meat into this basin, pour hot water over it, 
and pour hot water into the outer basin, forming a "water bath;" then let this 
outer water boil, but very gently, so as not to make the inside basin jump with its 
steam. Stew it thus for about double the time usually prescribed, and compare 
the result with similar materials stewed in the old way. The superiority will be 
evident. In any event, even if stewed on the old plan, the water should not boil nor 
get near the boiling point; keep the water at 150° to 160° by setting the dish at 
the side of the stove and letting it quietly stew. Less water is used than in boil- 
ing. A common mistake is to put in too much water. The meat needs to be 
barely covered, and cooks forget that at the moderate heat of stewing there is 
very little loss by evaporation. It is the cheapest method of cooking that there 
is. Little heat is required, and therefore little fuel used; nothing is wasted, and 
whatever goes into the pot comes out. No attention is needed while cooking, and 
the cheapest and coarsest meat can be used. This method is peculiarly adapted 
for all gelatinous meat, such as knuckles, heads and feet, and for all tough, 
fibrous meats, because long-continued, moderate heat, with moisture, is the best 
way of bringing gelatine and tough fibre into an eatable condition, and it will 
not only make it eatable but palatable. A tough fowl can in this manner be 
made presentable, better than by any other. In order to prevent the extraction 



MEATS. 99 

of all the juices from the meat in stewing, the best way is to fry it first; this 
gives it a good color and moderates the escape of the juices, which is often very 
desirable. The thoughtless method of putting in an excees of water and then 
letting it boil away, produces miserable results. 

In stewing, meat and vegetables are often cooked together, but as the princi- 
ples involved in cooking them are different, and they require different treatment, 
the best plan is to boil the vegetables first,. and then use them and their liquor 
for the stew. Some people have a prejudice against a "stew." If so, you can 
dignify it by giving it a French name, and call it a ragout — but be sure you pro- 
nounce it ra-goo ' , not ra-gowt. 

Fricasseeing. — This means, literally, " to fry-" It is usually applied to a 
chicken, rabbit or any small animal which is cut up and fried, either before or 
after stewing, and served in a well flavored sauce. 

Frying. — There are 2 ways of frying known to cooks as (1) wet frying, some- 
times called French frying or frying in a kettle of hot fat; and (2) dry frying or 
cooking in a frying-pan. The best results are undoubtedly obtained by the first 
method, although it is little used in this country. We will describe the 2 
methods: 

To fry anything by the first, or French method, is to cook it by immersing it 
in very hot fat. In fact, just as in boiling we must let the water cover what is 
boiled, so in this method we must let the fat cover what is fried. The same fat 
will do over and over again, so that this method is not as expensive as many 
people imagine. Food fried in this way comes out quite dry, and without any of 
the greasy moisture of frying-pan cookery. An iron sauce-pan or small kettle 
must be used, as the heat of the fat melts the solder of a tin pan. The rules for 
good frying are: (1) The fat must be sufficiently deep to fully cover the article. 
(2) The fat must be sufficiently hot, in fact, it should smoke. (3) When any- 
thing is floured before it is fried, it must not be floured until the last moment be- 
fore it is plunged into the fat. (4) When anything is fried that has been egged 
and bread-crumbed, it is best to egg and bread-crumb it some little time before 
it is fried. (5) Shut the kitchen door and open the window a little to avoid 
scenting up the house; this is a practical point which should be remembered. 

Now a few hints: The exterior of the substance to be fried should be as dry 
as possible; by this means we get a good color, and less bubbling is caused. Fish 
can be rubbed in flour; vegetables with a cloth; meat should not be washed. 
Before dropping anything that contains much water into hot fat, lift the kettle off 
of the stove, as the fat is liable to bubble over and catch fire. Most things that 
are fried are covered with egg and bread crumbs, flour and milk, or batter, in order 
that a crust may be formed round them to keep the juice in and the fat out; the 
essential thing is to cover them completely and leave no crack. It is best to 
warm the articles a littie before putting them in to fry, as, if they are too cold, or 
if too many are put in together, they will chill the fat, so that it will soak into 
them. On taking any fried article out of the fat, lay it to drain on a sieve, bottom 
up, or on a very hot cloth, or best of all, on a sheet of blotting paper. The hot 
fat being extremely fluid, will drain off and leave the article free from grease. 
Never pile jap on top of each other articles which are fried. Bread crumbs 
should be very fine; if coarse, grease will adhere to or be absorbed by them. They 
should take a fine, yellow color, being slightly charred or toasted by the high tem- 
perature to which they are exposed. Things well fried are not greasy, but quite 
dry. 

Frying food thus is not adapted to materials which require slow cooking at a 
low temperature, because it heats the surface much beyond the temperature of 
boiling, and, if prolonged, meat is heated clear through and toughened. Cro- 
quettes and similar preparations of cold meat are much nicer cooked in this way, 
and many kinds of fish are greatly improved by this process, while chops and 
cutlets which are first egged and bread-crumbed, are delicious thus cooked. 

If many articles are to be fried, reheat the fat occasionally to keep it hot 
enough. Using fat which is not hot enough is a common mistake; keep the fat 
smoking hot. There is much more danger of not having it hot enough than too 
hot. 

It is advisable, when possible, to use a wire frying-basket. This does away 




100 • MEATS. 

with much handling, and lifts all the things out at the same time. A basket 
should not be used for fritters, which stick to the basket, and the articles in the 

basket should not touch each other. As a basket 
expands with heat, it should not fit the pan very 
tightly; it should not touch the botttom of the 
pan. If you have no basket, use an iron spoon, 
as tin or Brittania metal will melt if the fat is 
very hot. Grease the basket by dipping it into 
basket fob frying. the hot fat before putting the articles into it, and 

lay them in so as to keep them from touching each other. 

Fats and oils may be heated much hotter than water, but some burn much 
more easily than others. About 350° to 400° is a suitable temperature for use; it 
can be higher; for some thiDgs which require slow cooking, it should be lower. 
It is better to have the temperature high at first, lowering it afterwards. Re- 
member that putting anything cold in fat to cook, lowers its temperature some- 
what. The temperature of fat can be obtained with a thermometer, but without 
that, the following tests offer some guide: (1) Drop in a few drops of water; if 
the fat bubbles thereupon, it is over 212°; if it bubbles very smartly, it is over 
300°. (2) Drop in a piece of bread and take it out in % minute; if the bread is 
then crisp, the fat is about 350° or more. (3) The more violent the bubbling when 
anything is put in, the hotter the fat. (4) A thin, filmy, blue smoke rises when 
the fat is fit for frying; after that, if the fat is further heated, it becomes thicker, 
until the fat is burning, when there is a dense cloud. (5) Fat, unless it has left 
off bubbling and is quite still, is never hot enough for frying. These rules are 
true of all fats, and more or less of all frying. The reason that fat crackles when 
it is first put on is, that there is generally water in it. This water, being heavier 
than fat, sinks to the bottom and is converted into steam, and these bubbles of 
steam escaping up through the fat makes the bubbling. If not moist with water, _ 
it would not crackle. When the crackling ceases, it shows simply that the fat is' 
hotter than boiling water, and that the water is evaporated. When you have 
finished using the fat, pour it into a basin containing some hot water. Have 
more water than fat, and pour the fat in gradually, if it is very hot, or else it will 
suddenly create a volume of steam; then agitate the fat a little, and let it stand 
until it is cold. When you next use the fat, take it out in one large cake, and 
scrape the part next to the water, which will contain impurities. The cake 
should also be occasionally strained while warm. 

With regard to the best fat to use, it may be said that, while olive oil is gen- 
erally considered the best, it is too expensive for general use, and the taste is not 
liked by some people. Pure cotton seed oil answers well, and it has but little 
odor. Mutton fat or drippings is not suitable, as it is apt to leave a tallowy taste 
and smell, and it cools quickly. For every-day use, lard is best, or, lard mixed 
with clarified beef suet, or the drippings from roast beef, pork or veal. We 
think, however, that some of the vegetable oils will soon largely supplant the 
animal fats for frying, and most other cooking purposes. There are many 
advantages and few objections to their use. The fat can be used over and over 
again. It is generally believed that for this method of frying, several different 
supplies of fat are needed, one for meat, one for fish, and so on, but if the fat is 
properly handled and clarified, it will be found that this idea is exaggerated. • 

Fat for frying can be clarified by cutting it up into small pieces, and putting 
it into the sauce-pan with just enough water to prevent its burning, and then heat 
it over a slow fire until the bottom can be seen; then it should be strained, or 
heat it in a frying-pan to 285° to 300° F., and then very cautiously sprinkle upon 
it small quantities of water. The steam carries off the volatile fatty acids which 
produce the rancidity in such as fish oils, and also removes the neutral, offensive 
fatty matters that are decomposable by heat. 

Cotton seed oil, as it comes from the refinery, is limpid, pure and sweet, with the 
color, taste and odor of bottled salad oil. From a hygienic point of view, it is a most val- 
uable substitute for lard, and is superiorto that for culinary purposes. Use it as you 
would lard, taking only % the quantity. For frying fish and oysters, it is less liable to 
burn than lard, and it does not retain the odor of the fish. For frying fish or fritters, or for 
baking waffles and batter cakes, it should be hot, or they will absorb too much of the oil. 
For corn-bread, add it hot the last thing; it makes good egg bread without eggs. For 
waffles with cold boiled rice, or for cornmeal batter cakes, the addition of a little of the 



MUAtS. ioi 

oil to the batter, renders it as rich and tender as though 2 or 3 eggs were used. For 
browning chopped onions and flour, stews and gravies, it is not so liable to burn as lard, 
and it gives a very rich appearance. 

If an accident occurs when frying, do not throw water on the flames, as 
that turns to steam; smother them instead with a thick cloth or strip of carpet. 

The philosophy of frying consists largely in the fact that different fluids 
will receive different amounts of heat — water boiling at 212°, beyond which it 
cannot be heated in an open kettle, while fat or oil will go to 560° to 600°. Water 
dissolves and extracts the juices of meats submitted to its action, but in fats the 
juices are preserved, for they are insoluble in oil, and substances submitted to its 
action when it is very hot, harden, assume a more or less deep color, and finally 
become carbonized. If the fat is at the right temperature, it will instantly 
harden the surface albumen, but if the temperature is too low, the fat will soak 
into the article, instead of drawing out the juices as water does. 

To fry by the second plan we mentioned above, or dry frying (the French call 
it saut&ng) the following directions may be given. To fry meat properly in this 
way, requires care and expedition, orthe operation will bea failure, and, as in the 
case of broiling, it must be done the last thing while preparing the meal; every- 
thing should be in place on the table, excepting the vegetables in their hot dishes, 
and if mutton or lamb is to be fried, the plates, even in warm weather, must be 
hot, as the fat chills rapidly after being taken from the fire. Have the cutlets, 
steaks or chops all ready for the pan beforehand, so as to lose no time at the 
last; the slices should be of the right size to serve. If beef is to be fried, a little 
of its own fat, cut in bits, should be melted and sizzling hot in the pan — on this 
much depends. Put the pieces of meat in the hot fat, add no salt, as that draws 
the juices, and fry as fast as possible, turning and tossing the meat to keep it 
from burning; do not leave it a moment. Have a hot platter in readiness and 
take up the meat when well browned on both sides (which will be in less than 5 
minutes) dust on it a little pepper, if liked, and spread it with butter, with a very 
little salt sprinkled over it very evenly, and send it to the table as hot as possible. 
Meat done in this way will be tender and juicy, like well broiled steak. A long, 
slow simmering of fresh meat, salted in the pan, will be hard and indigestible. 
Fresh pork, beef, mutton and lamb should each be cooked in its own fresh fat; 
veal is so dry and lean that it is usually fried in the fat from salt pork, and after- 
wards seasoned as above. Other meats, if they are lean, can be fried in the fat of a 
single slice of salt pork, rather than in butter, which burns if brought to the 
right heat to cook meat without losing the juices. Only enough fat is required 
to keep the meat from sticking to the pan; if there is more, it can be poured over 
the meat, or thickened, and with a little water added, used for gravy. 

Braising". — This is a way of cooking by the action of heat above as well as 
beloio the article cooked — the effect is somewhat similar to stewing. A braising- 
pan has a deep cover on which live coals are placed. The pan is air-tight, and as 
all evaporation is thus precluded, the food imbibes whatever flavor the cook may 
wish to give it, in order to effect which, she must place in the pan with the meat, 
whatever vegetables, etc., her recipe may direct. The ingredients should be very 
well proportioned, and the stewing should go on very slowly. It is not a common 
method of cooking in America, although more practiced in Europe. 

To Steam. — Cooking by steam in private families is not as generally practiced 
as it might be. The steamer fits tightly on a pan or kettle, and as the water 
boils, the steam fills the steamer and cooks the articles in it. A toughfowl, filled 
with a stuffing of bread crumbs, etc., and steamed for 2 hours or so, will be made 
quite tender. Fish and oysters cooked in this way are delicious. Stale bread 
and biscuit steamed 5 or 6 minutes, is made fresh and good. Plum cake steamed 
3 hours and then baked 1 hour, is better than when baked in the ordinary way. 
Potatoes are often steamed. In steaming puddings, etc., do not use water in 
which anything else has been cooked, as it will give them an unpleasant flavor. 
Articles being steamed cannot burn, but do not let the fire get so low that the 
water stops boiling for an instant, or the supply of steam will be lessened, to the 
detriment of the article being cooked. 

Sauteing.— This is the French name for frying anything quickly in a small 
pan, with a very little dripping, oil or fat, doing one side at a time. It is the 
same as the dry frying which we have previously described. The art consists in 



m 



MEATS. 



having the pan and fat very hot at the start, and in doing it very quickly, to savd 
the juices and succulence in the meat. 

To Lard.— This consists in sticking bacon or other specified articles into poul- 
try, meat, etc. It is done with a larding 
needle. It is sometimes thought a difficult 
operation, hut is really exceedingly easy. It 
improves dry, lean meats, and though it 
needs to be done neatly, to look well, a little 
practice teaches this readily. The method 
is to cut fat bacon into narrow strips of 
equal length and thickness; for poultry and 
game, these should be about 2 inches long, 
% inch thick, and % inch wide; for fillets of 





Fig. 1. LARDOONS. Fig. 2. METHOD OF LARDING MEAT. 

beef, loins of veal, or other solid joints, the same length, and % inch thick and 
wide. Notice that for all white meats, the bacon used must be cured without 
saltpetre, as that tinges meats red in 
cooking. Put each of these strips of 
bacon (which is called a "lardoon") 





Fig. 3. LARDED NECK OP MUTTON. Fig. 4. LARDED TURKEY. 

into a "larding needle," and pass the point of this through enough of the fowl or 
joint to hold the lardoon safely; then draw the needle through, leaving the bacon 
in the meat, with both ends projecting equally. Do this in regular rows, and at 
equal distances, until the meat is covered with a regular pattern. Generally the 
breasts only of poultry and feathered game are larded, and the backs, or backs 
and thighs of rabbits and hares. With soft meat, like poultry it is well to first 
dip the part to be larded in boiling water for a moment, as that imparts greater 
firmness to it, and makes it hold the lardoons better. 

Daubing. — This is somewhat like larding, but the strips of pork are pushed 
entirely through the meat from side to side, instead of being merely inserted 
near the surface. By this means the fat and flavor of the pork penetrates the in- 
side of the meat, giving it a flavor which some people relish. Cut the fat pork into 
strips as for larding, but a little thicker, and long enough to a little more than 
go through the meat, projecting a little to each side. A hole is first punched 
clear through the meat with a steel instrument, and then the strip of fat pork is 
thrust through with the larding needle or fingers. Daubing is usually applied to 
a thick piece of beef or veal. The flavor of the pork may also be obtained, how- 
ever, by laying it on the top of the meat, leaving it on while cooking, and remov- 
ing it when done. 

Boning.— This is usually done by the butcher, and means literally making the 
joint or fowl, or whatever it is, boneless. 

Barding. — This is practiced on poultry and game and consists in fastening a 
thin, large slice of fat salt pork on the breast; it answers the purpose of basting. 
Glazing. — This consists in covering certain meats with a thin, golden -brown 
paste (a glaze) made by boiling down rich soup stock. It is used to give meats 
which have not been colored by cooking, a glossy surface, and a brown, roasted 
appearance. 



MEATS. 



103 



To Egg and Bread.- Crumb. — The best way to make bread crumbs is to rub 
stale bread through a wire sieve, because the bread crumbs should be very fine. 
A wire sieve is a necessity in every home where economy is considered or good 
cooking desired. If the bread crumbs are to be used for meat or fish, a little 
pepper and salt can be added; if for sweet dishes, add a little sugar. The eggs 
should be beaten up lightly; a teaspoon of water to each egg helps in beating it 
thin. The rule is, to dip the article that is to be egged and bread-crumbed first in 
the crumbs to dry it; now let it dry a little, then dip it in the beaten up egg, drain 
it, and then roll it again in the bread crumbs and leave it in the crumbs until 
it is put in the smoking hot fat. It is best to egg and bread-crumb anything 
some time before it is fried. The drier the crumbs the better, if a good color is 
desired. The philosophy of this process is that the egg, being albumen, when 
put into the hot fat, hardens into a thin, tough film, which keeps the fat from pen- 
etrating, and with meat and fish holds the juices within them. It is evident that 
for this purpose every part of the surface should be perfectly covered with the 
egg, and that there should be no cracks for the juice to escape through. If the 
egg and bread crumbs fall off, it is because the crumbs are too coarse; or there is 
not enough fat in the kettle; or it is not hot enough, the latter being often the 
cause. 

Dripping 1 . — Excepting the fat of mutton, lamb, and that from boiled ham that 
has been smoked, "dripping" is any fat tried from cooked meat. The fat of 
salted pork is ready for use as soon as tried, and may be poured from the frying- 
pan into the bowl kept for that purpose, but the fat from roasted or boiled meat 
contains more or less water and must be heated in the frying-pan until all the 
water has evaporated, and then strained into an earthen vessel. If more drip- 
ping is saved in this way than is needed for shortening or for re-cooking potatoes, 
it can be strained into the kettle for frying doughnuts. An economical cook 
never allows good fat to spoil. The fat from baked sausages is excellent for re- 
warming potatoes, but will not do for the doughnut kettle. The fat from poultry 
may be used very soon after trying out, but it becomes rancid much sooner 
than the fat of beef and pork. The fat of mutton and lamb, with that from the 
boiled smoked ham, is only fit for the soap-man. When the drippings to be clari- 
fied for use are smoking hot in the frying-pan, all unpleasant odors (like that of 
fat from corned beef), can be removed by slicing 1 or 2 raw potatoes into the pan 
and leaving them until fried crisp; the potatoes absorb all the unpleasant flavors. 

Thermometers. — We wonder that no one has ever invented a good thermome- 
ter to be used when cooking, and in the kitchen. We know of none now. Mrs. 
M. H. Abel says she fastened a thermometer to a cork, having the bulb project 
below, and protecting it with a piece of wood; thus arranged, the cork would float 
on the water, and the temperature of any article boiling or stewing could be de- 
termined. She also used it to test the oven, by hanging it on a wire frame. The 
present method of guessing at the temperature when cooking is very unsatisfac- 
tory, and must give way before long to a more exact and scientific plan. 

Hints. — In cooking meat, it will be an assistance to remember that freshly- 
killed meat requires more time to cook than that which has been kept; also that 
meat needs cooking rather longer in cold weather than in hot. 

To make tough meat tender, soak it in vinegar and water; if the piece is very 
large, soak it about 12 hours; for 10 lbs. of beef, use about 3 quarts of water and % 
pint of vinegar, and soak it for 6 or 7 hours. If the vinegar is not very strong, a 
very tough piece can be soaked 3 or 4 days in summer, and twice as long in win- 
ter to advantage, and spices may be added if liked. Or the meat can be brushed 
over with vinegar and let stand with that on ^ to 1 day. The tough fibre is cut 
and softened by the acid. Sour milk is used for the same purpose, by foreign 
cooks, the lactic acid of the milk acting the same as the acetic acid of the vin- 
egar. The meat should be immersed in the sour milk, which should be changed 
every day, and thoroughly washed off before cooking the meat. Meat is also 
hung to make it tender, but we explain about that under " Keeping Provisions." 
Stewing also makes many tough meats tender; see the preceding article on 
" Stewing." 

Washing Meat. — Meat purchased from a good butcher should not need wash- 
ing before being cooked; all that will be necessary will be to dampen a cloth with 
cold water and wipe it off; or scrape it with a dull knife to remove splinters of 



104 



MEATS. 



bone, sand, etc. Washing meat will dissolve out the surface albumen and juices, 
and detract just that much from its value. If necessary to wash it, do not let it 
stay in water, but use cold water, throw it on quickly, and then wipe the meat dry. 

The action of salt on meat should be understood. Salt causes the fibres of 
meat to contract, and the juice to flow out of its pores, often forcing out in this 
way as much as % °f the juice of the meat, which is the reaso.n of the fact, 
familiar to every housewife, that dry salt in contact with fresh meat gradually 
becomes fluid brine. Now as the juice thus extracted contains albumen, and 
other valuable principles, it will be seen that meat which has been preserved with 
salt can never have the nutritive value of fresh meat, because the juices when 
once drawn out can never be restored. 

Hard and Soft Water. — Many cooks also do not understand the action of 
different waters on meat. For making soup, or broth, soft water, unsalted, is 
best to use, because that more readily penetrates the tissues and extracts the 
juices; but for cooking meat to be eaten, where it is desired to retain the juices in 
the meat, hard water is best, or if soft water is used, put a little salt in it. Salt 
added to the water in which meat or fish is cooked acts in 3 ways: (1) It helps 
to coagulate the surface albumen. (2) Water containing salt boils at a little 
higher temperature than pure water. (3) It increases the density of the water, 
and the juices flow out less readily. Although each action is rather small, they 
all combine to keep in the juices. 

The disagreeable odor of boiling may be kept from filling the house by 
putting into the water a pod of red pepper. A lump of charcoal wrapped in 
muslin and dropped in the kettle will also absorb the odor and prevent its perme- 
ating the house. 

Burning Fat. — When, in broiling meat, fat drops down on the - coals, and you 
fear it may give the meat a smoky taste, take off the gridiron for a minute or 
two, and put a little salt on the coals. 

To thaw frozen meat, put it in cold water, and do not try to cook it until it is 
fully thawed. Do not thaw it until just before it is to be cooked. To ascertain 
whether the thawing is complete, drive an iron skewer through the thickest part 
of the joint; if there is a core of ice within, it will be distinctly felt by the resis- 
tance it offers. If the meat is cooked before it is perfectly thawed, it will often 
display a raw center when done. Meat that has been frozen decomposes easily 
when thawed, and it is apt to be insipid and dry when cooked. 



TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OP POOD ELEMENTS IN DIFFERENT MEATS. 





Water. 

% 


Albu- 
menoids. 

% 


Fats. 

% 


Mineral 
Matters 

% 


Potential 

Energy 

inltt. 

Calories. 


Beef, neck 


62.0 
58.0 
47.4 
27.4 
68.2 
72.1 
60.0 
69.5 
63.5 
58.6 
49.8 
68.8 
58.6 
61.8 
49.3 
51.8 
64.7 
50.3 
12.1 
41 5 
84.0 
72.2 
66.2 
41.2 


19.5 
17.6 
14.6 

12 
20.5 
21.0 
18.5 
20.1 
17.4 
28.8 
14.2 
20.2 
18.1 
18.3 
15.0 
17.5 
18 9 
16 

0.9 
16.7 
13.9 
24.8 
23.9 

13 8 


17.5 
23.5 
37.2 
59.9 
10.1 

5 7 
20 5 

5.4 
18.0 

4.4 
23 

9.8 
22 4 
19.0 
35.0 
29 7 
15.3 
32.8 
82.8 
39.1 

1.8 

2.0 

8 7 
42 8 


1.0 
0.9 
0.8 
0.7 
1.2 
1.2 
1.0 
1.5 
1.1 
6.8 
3.0 
1.2 
0.9 
0.9 
0.7 
1.0 
1 1 
0.9 
4 2 
2.7 
3 
1.4 
1.2 
2.2 


1100 




1320 




1840 




2750 




805 


leg 


630 




1210 


liver (Carbohydrates 3.5%).... 


665 
1085 


dried (Carbohydrates 1.4$). . . 


745 
1655 




790 




1280 


leg 


1140 




1755 




1580 


leg 


1000 




1680 




3510 




1960 




336 




540 




810 




2066 







MEATS. 105 

Do not put salt on meat that is being cooked until it is nearly done; if added 
earlier, it toughens the fibre. We elsewhere explain about buying and preserving 
meat. 

The table on the previous page shows the composition of various kinds of 
meat so that our readers can judge of their nutritive value. The rule in meat is, 
" the more fat the less water." If flesh forming material is wanted, the lean 
meats will best furnish it; if heat-givers and force-producers are desired, fatty 
meats and bacon are best. Meat twice cooked loses considerably both in digesti- 
bility and flavor. For the meaning of the terms " Albumenoids " and " Potential 
Energy," see the article on the " Compositidh of Foods." 

Cold Meat. — Cold, sliced meats are much relished by many, but need not, neces- 
sarily, be entirely cold when served, especially in cold weather. Arrange the 
slices neatly on a platter, then set the platter in the oven with the door open, and 
warm just enough to take off the chill, but not to start the fat from the meat. 
Serve it with tomato or chili sauce. Cold meat cuts better after it is entirely 
cold. 

Remember that in re-warming all kinds of meat, it must not be re-cooked, as 
that has a tendency to harden it. By placing thinly cut bits of cold meat in a 
hot dish, or platter, and pouring over it the hot sauce or gravy, and then 
serving in hot plates in cold weather, the meat will be sufficiently heated. Cold 
butcher's meat of all kinds can be treated in this way; also fish, shell-fish, poultry 
and game, each covered with its appropriate hot sauce or gravy. Mutton par- 
ticularly calls for hot plates nearly all the year round, as the fat hardens imme- 
diately on a cold plate. 

Gravy. — Gravy differs from a meat sauce in that it is made of the juices 
which drip from roasted or baked meats; or from those extracted in the process 
of frying or saut&ng; or from the broth from boiled meats, in contradistinction 
from a sauce made from something foreign to the meat. 

Gravy for roasted meat is made by adding water to the dripping-pan in which 
the meat is roasted; the juices of the meat which have dried and browned on the 
sides of the dripping-pan, should be thoroughly stirred down into the pan with a 
spoon, as this gives color and flavor to the gravy; the surplus fat must be dipped 
off, but a small portion left in gives the needed fat and richness to the gravy 
without the addition of butter, and will be thoroughly blended through it by the 
addition of the thickening. The thickening is made by mixing flour or corn- 
starch with a little cold water, and stirring it into the boiling contents of the 
dripping-pan, which is placed on the top of the stove or range, immediately upon 
taking up the roast. Most cooks of the present day use corn-starch, which 
cooks free from lumps; others prefer the flavor of flour thickening, even if it 
necessitates the straining of the gravy; browned flour, or browned flour and 
butter, called brown roux, or white roux, which is raw flour and butter already 
mixed, is used by professional cooks. Gravies should be kept hot in a sauce-pan, 
after straining, until sent to the table, for a cold gravy is an abomination. 

Gravy for meat fried in a frying-pan is made in the same way, by adding a 
little hot water to the pan after the meat is taken up, then thickening it as above; 
there is usually no surplus fat when meat is cooked in a frying-pan, as only 
enough fat is used to keep the meat from sticking to the pan. 

Gravy for boiled meat is made by dipping the required quantity of broth from 
the top of the pot, together with a portion of the fat, then thicken and season as 
for other gravies. A spoonful of any one of the various meat sauces may be 
added to gravies for seasoning if preferred. 

Do not spoil gravies with high seasoning of any kind, for the best gravy is that 
in which the flavor of the meat is best retained. The English method of making, 
gravy with meat-liquor or soup-stock is as follows: When roasting beef, mutton, 
lamb or pork, pour off into a dish, % hour before dinner time, all the contents of 
the dripping-pan, and set them away in a cool place; 'then put into the pan 1 or 2 
cups of the meat liquor or stock; if you have cold gravy or drippings of a previous 
day, take off all the fat from the top, and put the liquid which is left, into the 
pan. Wet some browned flour smooth, and when you take up the meat, set the 
dripping-pan on top of the stove; the gravy will at once boil up, and the wet flour 
must then be stirred in. Do not let it stand too long, as it will boil away fast. 

With veal and venison, there is but little fat, and that is not gross, and so the 



106 MEATS. 

gravy is made differently. When the meat is first put to roast, put some meat- 
liquor or stock in the dripping-pan, and add a little more as it boils away. When 
the meat is done, set the dripping-pan on the stove, and, having stirred in the 
wet flour as before, add a piece of butter % the size of an egg, and stir until it is 
all melted or it will make the gravy oily. 

For poultry, the gravy is made by boiling the giblets by themselves in a little 
water; skim it carefully, as a good deal of scum will rise. After 1 or \% hours, 
take them out and pour the water into the dripping-pan; mash or chop the liver 
fine, and when you make the gravy, add this and a bit of butter, some pepper, the 
wet flour, and, if you choose, a little sweet marjoram. 

The fat that roasts out of a turkey should be dipped off with a spoon before 
these ingredients are added; it is too gross to be palatable. 

For goose gravy, pour off all the drippings as directed for beef or pork, and put 
in some of the meat-liquor or stock. 

To Brown Flour. — Some cooks keep browned flour on hand for gravies and 
soups, and think it gives a better flavor and color than white flour. Prepare it 
as follows: Put about a quart of flour into a spider and set it into the oven or 
on top of the stove; stir it often lest it should burn. When it is a light brown 
color, set it away for use, in a jar or wide mouthed bottle, keeping it corked. 

Garnishing meat adds much to its appearance. Slices of carrots are suitable 
for hot or cold boiled beef. Mint is used for hot or cold roast lamb, either with 
or without parsley. For roast veal and calf's head, slices of lemon are used. For 
boiled meats or stews, use capers, boiled onions or pickled gherkins. For roast 
beef, horse-radish is often used. Slices of red beet-root go well on boiled beef or 
cold meat, and for poultry, fish, cold meats, etc., parsley is very generally used. 

Slices of lemon served with a plate of beefsteak will impart a pleasant flavor 
to it, and those who like onions will relish beefsteak served on a platter that has 
been well rubbed with a raw onion. 



BEEF. 

Beef is probably the best and most wholesome, as it is certainly the most 
economical meat that can be purchased for family use. Very lean beef is of 
inferior quality, while that which, is very fat is objectionable because it is so 
wasteful. 

Before boiling salted beef, it should be soaked in a quantity of water over 
night; then put it on in cold water and it is much better for a long, slow boiling. 

Beef Balls. — Chop fine some cold beef, mix with the meat 1 or 2 well-beaten 
eggs, according to quantity of meat; a bit of chopped onion, a little melted but- 
ter, salt and pepper; flour your hands, roll into balls the prepared meat, and fry 
in hot lard. 

Chipped Beef. — Heat together 1 cup each of milk and water, and thicken with 
a beaten egg and a little flour; when it has boiled 5 minutes, add a quantity of 
chipped beef; stir in well and remove at once from the fire. 

Beef or Yeal Cheese. — Boil and skim beef until the meat and gristle drop from 
the bone; chop the meat fine, season with pepper, salt and sage, and put in a deep 
dish; take all the fat from the soup and boil it away some, then pour it over the 
meat, stir well, and set away to cool and harden. Cut in slices and eat cold. 

Corned Beef. — Corned beef, if very salt, may be freshened for 24 hours, then 
put in kettle with 3 chopped onions, 2 carrots, (cut up),a little pepper, and a tiny 
pinch of cloves. Stew until tender; thicken the gravy with 2 tablespoons flour 
stirred to a paste in % teacup cold water. Serve hot, with mashed potatoes and 
chopped cabbage. 

Beef Daube (do' be). — Have a slice cut from the top of the round of beef, 3 or 4 
inches thick; take out the bone, cut places all over it an inch or two apart (doing 



MEATS. 16? 

it as evenly as possible) and place little squares of salt pork in each cut; put it in 
a deep frying-pan or baking-tin with a little water, cover tightly, and bake, or 
simmer on the stove for an hour; then turn it in the pan, season with a little salt, 
pepper, and herbs if liked, slice on an onion, 2 or 3 potatoes, a small turnip, and a 
carrot, cover again, and bake or simmer until the vegetables are done. Serve with 
sour apples, baked or fried. Economical. 

Deviled Beef. —Take 2 lbs. round steak, chopped fine, add a cup of bread 
crumbs, % a CU P °f sweet milk, a good tablespoon of butter, a good teaspoon of 
salt, a little pepper. Mix and put into square, deep tins, and bake about % hour. 
It slices nicely when cold. 

Dried Beef. — This is commonly served as an appetizer, sliced very thinly, and 
eaten raw. It is cooked by slicing thinly, or rather shaving it as for a relish, then 
put it in a sauce-pan and scald with just boiling water enough to cover it; let it 
scald 4 or 5 minutes, then drain off the water, and add % P m * °f cream; when 
this gets hot, thicken it with a little corn-starch in cold milk; when thoroughly 
hot, serve in a hot dish. Milk may be substituted for cream, and a little butter 
added to season it, or the yolk of an egg. This is a convenient and economical 
dish for a small family living at a distance from a market. Serve with either 
boiled or baked potatoes. 

Dried Beef Relish. — Cut dried beef very fine, put it in a sauce-pan with a little 
hot water and let it simmer on the stove a few minutes; add a little butter, toast 
slices of bread a nice, delicate brown, and spread the beef over the slices of toast. 
If the dried beef is very salt, turn off the hot water after standing a few minutes; 
then add a little more to prepare it. 

Fillet of Beef. — This is the under side of the loin; take out the bones. After 
trimming and larding, put into a pan, in the bottom of which are some small pieces 
of beef suet; sprinkle with salt and pepper; add 1 cup of water. Bake in hot 
oven 30 minutes; baste often with hot water. 

Frizzled Beef. — Take 2 cups of sliced dried beef, %, cup of butter, 6 cups of 
sweet milk, 6 even tablespoons of flour, % teaspoon of pepper, and 12 small slices 
of bread. Brown the butter slightly, add the dried beef and let it cook until it 
curls at the edges; stir in the flour dry, add the milk and pepper, stirring constantly 
until it boils; turn it over the bread and serve. 

Beef Heart. — Cut open the heart, rub well outside and in with salt; make 
a nice dressing the same as for chicken, stuff the heart and sew it together. Roll 
a nice round steak around it and tie; season well with pepper and salt. Then 
put a plate in the bottom of a kettle, put in the heart, cover with water, and cook 
until tender. When about done, take it out and put into a dripping-pan, pour 
over the juice in which it was cooked, and place it in the oven to brown. Make 
a nice gravy to go with it. Excellent. 

Hunters' Beef. — Take 25 Dbs. of round of beef, 3 oz. of saltpetre, 3 oz. of the 
coarsest brown sugar, 1 oz. of cloves, 1 nutmeg, % oz - °f allspice, 3 handfuls of 
common sail; — all in the finest powder. Take the bones from about 25 Dbs. of a 
round of beef, and let it hang for 2 or 3 days. Then rub the above ingredients 
well into it every day for 2 or 3 weeks, turning it every morning. When ready to 
be dressed, dip it into cold water to take off the loose spice, bind it up tightly 
with a wide tape and put it into a pan with a crust of flour and water; set it in 
the oven and bake it 6 hours. When it is cold, take off the paste and tape, glaze 
it and garnish it with savory jelly. The gravy is very fine, and adds greatly to 
the flavor of soups, hashes, etc. It keeps good for some time. 



108 MEATS. 

Beef Kidneys. — Cut the kidneys in 2 slices, lengthwise; soak an hour in salted 
water, then wipe dry; dip them in a beaten egg, roll in cracker dust, and broil 
over a clear fire. 

Kidneys may be stewed until tender in a very little water, and seasoned; then 
thicken the broth, and serve. 

Stuffed Liver. — Scald slices of liver in boiling water with a little salt; make 
dressing as for poultry; put a layer of thin slices of salt pork on the bottom of a 
deep baking-dish or the short-handled frying-pan; then spread half the liver on 
the pork and place the dressing on it. Cover the dressing with the remaining 
half of the liver, cover with a pan or plate, and bake an hour. 

Deviled Liver, — Chop very fine 3 lbs. of liver and J^ lb. of salt pork, both un- 
cooked. Then mix % pint of bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons of salt, 1 teaspoon 
of pepper, *^ teaspoon of cayenne, and % teaspoon of mace and cloves; add and 
mix well with the chopped liver and pork; put it in a covered sauce-pan, and set 
that in a sauce-pan of cold water. Cover the sauce-pan and place on the fire to boil 
2 hours. Take out the mold, uncover, and let it stand in an open oven to let the 
steam escape. This is a cold dish. 

Beef a la Mode. — Cut the bone from a round of beef, and fill the space with 
bread and butter dressing, or a dressing made with onions and spiced with herbs. 
Put a bandage around it to keep it in shape, and put it in a pot just large enough 
to hold it; add about a pint of water, cover tightly, and bake 3 hours. Good either 
hot or cold. 

Mock Duck. — Take a good piece of upper round steak, make a dressing as for 
turkey, and spread it over the steak; roll it up and wind it with a string. Bake it as 
you would roast beef, but not so long. It can be served hot, or allowed to cool with 
the string around it, when it can be cut in thin slices for luncheon or tea. If served 
cold, garnish handsomely with sliced lemon and green parsley. 

Mock DucJc, No. 2. — Make a dressing the same as for turkey, put it in a round of 
beef steak which has been salted and peppered, and sew it up; then roast it with 2 
or 3 slices of salt pork on top, and baste it frequently. It will be equal to duck. 

Beef Omelet. — Chop finely 1 pound of raw beef; roll 3 crackers to a powder, 
and mix with them % teaspoon of baking powder; beat well 2 eggs, and then mix 
all together with a seasoning of salt, pepper and powdered herbs; put a piece of 
butter the size of an egg in a pudding-dish, let it just melt, then place the 
mixture in a cake in the dish, flatten down into a flat cake in the bottom of the 
pudding-dish, and bake % hour. Take it up on a hot platter, spread the top 
with soft butter, and send to the table hot. Good for supper or breakfast in 
cold weather. For breakfast, serve hot cornmeal muffins with the omelet. 

Beef Pot Pie. — A good dinner which combines the needed variety of foods in 
1 dish, is a beef or mutton stew. Two pounds of cheap meat, neck of mutton, 
shin or round of beef, is enough for 4 to 6 people. Cut the meat in inch pieces, 
season with salt and pepper, and roll in flour. Put the bones in cold water and 
heat slowly; when boiling, put in the meat, already browned in a frying-pan, with 
a little hot fat. Add 1 or 2 small onions sliced and fried with the meat, if liked; 
a stalk of celery, or % cup of strained tomato, also gives a nice flavor. Simmer 
an hour, then add a medium-sized carrot and turnip, cleaned and cut in % inch 
squares; cook 2 hours, or till the meat is tender; 3^ hour before serving, put in 6 
potatoes already pared, quartered and parboiled to draw out their strong juice. 
Taste and season more if liked, and skim all fat from the top; 10 minutes before 



MEATS. 109 

dinner-time, put in the dumpling and cook without removing the cover. The 
Dumplings: 1 pint of flour, ~% teaspoon of salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder, sifted 
together and mixed into a soft dough with 1 cup more or less of milk or water. 
Drop from the tip of the spoon into the boiling stew, cover closely, and in 10 
minutes take up on a hot platter or place around the platter on which the stew 
is served. 

Pot-roast of Beef. — Take 5 or 6 pounds of the round of beef, remove the bone, 
put slices of suet in the bottom of a deep pot, and fry out the fat; leave the bits 
of suet in the bottom of the kettle, put in the beef in a round shape, and add a 
pint of hot water; put on the stove where it will cook slowly. Cover well after 
sprinkling on a little salt, pepper, and sweet herbs, if liked. It should cook 2 or 
3 hours, and at last uncover it and rapidly cook out all the water, until it begins 
to fry in the bottom of the kettle; when it is nicely browned on the bottom, take 
up on a platter, the browned side up, and pour over it any fat left in the pot. 
Good, warm or cold. Cut in thin slices it makes nice sandwiches. 

Pressed Beef. — Take any kind of beef, stew it till the bones fall out, pick it 
over carefully, removing all gristle, and chop finely. Season to taste with pepper 
and salt, and add any herbs or spices desired. Put it in a brick-shaped pan with 
a flaring top, put another pan on top, and weight with flat-irons or other con- 
venient weight. When cold, serve in slices. Thus prepared, cheap and tough 
pieces of beef may be made delicious. 

Roast Beef. — The best pieces for roasting are the first and second cut of the 
sirloin. The next to be preferred are the first cut of the rib and the back of the 
rump. Dredge with flour, salt, and pepper, place in dripping-pan with very 
little water; baste frequently. If a large piece of beef (10 or 12 pounds) allow 15 
minutes to every pound; a small piece, 10 minutes to every pound. Make a 
gravy of the dripping. After carefully skimming off all the grease, pour the 
remainder into a sauce-pan, mix a little brown flour carefully so as not to have 
any lumps, and stir into the liquid while boiling; boil 3 minutes and it is ready 
to serve. 

Boast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. — Into 2 cups flour mix 1 teaspoon bak- 
ing powder, and a pinch of salt; .add 1 cup milk, beat till smooth, and add 
another cup of milk. Put it in hot gem-pans and bake; baste it with beef drip- 
pings. Serve it with the roast beef. The batter is often poured under the beef 
to bake, but this is a better way. 

Spiced Beef. — Boil 2 or 3 pounds of fat beef slowly until the bones will easily 
separate from the meat; then take it out, take out all the bones, and chop the 
meat (fat and lean together) while hot; season with salt, white pepper and sifted 
sweet herbs — sage, thyme, parsley, or any best liked. Mix all thoroughly and 
put in a brick-shaped bread-pan to become cold for the next day. The broth can 
be used for a soup the next day. Serve the spiced meat, cut in slices, with 
potatoes, baked, or cooked in any way liked. 

Boiled Tongue. — If the tongue is salted, soak over night in plenty of cold 
water; the next morning put it over the fire with enough cold water to cover it, 
and boil slowly 3 or 4 hours, according to the size; skin the tongue while hot and 
set away to cool. When cold, cut in very thin slices, excepting the extreme tip, 
which can be used for making side dishes. If the tongue is fresh, then soak it 
over night in cold water in which is a handful of salt; the next morning put it over 
the fire and cook slowly, and proceed in the same manner as with salted tongue. 



110 MEATS. 

Tripe. — Tripe is usually sold already boiled and pickled, and is a good food if 
cider vinegar is used for a pickle; if any of the mineral acids are used, it will 
unfavorably affect the digestion. After coming from the market, it is sometimes 
broiled, spread with butter, and served with baked potatoes. It can be put on a 
platter and set on the grate in the oven until hot and then spread with butter; 
again, it can be fried brown in the frying-pan with a little butter, and seasoned 
with any of the piquant meat sauces. It may also be cut in strips, soaked 10 or 
12 hours in salt and vinegar, wiped dry, and fried in hot lard. It can be stewed also. 

Fricasseed Tripe. — Cut in narrow strips 1 lb. of tripe and add to it 1 cup of 
milk, or part water; put in a piece of butter the size of an egg, season with salt 
and pepper, and thicken with 1 tablespoon of flour, stirred with a little cold milk 
or water. Let it simmer gently for % hour, and serve hot. It may be improved 
by a bunch of parsley cut sznall and put with it. 

Beefsteak. — Broiled Steak. — Grease the gridiron with suet. Have it hot. Put 
on the steak over hot coals. In a moment, when the steak is colored, turn it over. 
Watch and turn frequently. Do not let out the juice by sticking a fork in it. 
Remove to a hot platter. Sprinkle well with salt and pepper and butter well. 
Set platter into oven a few minutes, to let butter soak well in. Serve hot. The 
juice of a good steak is inside of it — not a gravy in the dish. 

Broiled Chopped Beefsteak (called Salisbury steak).— Take 2 lbs. of raw beef- 
steak and chop fine in a chopping-bowl; then press together in flat pieces, each 
one large enough for 1 person, and broil over a bed of coals. This is nice for an 
invalid or person with poor teeth, especially if tender steak cannot be had. 

Beefsteak and Oysters. — Broil the steak the usual way. Put 1 qt. of oysters 
with very little of the liquor into a stew-pan upon the fire; when it comes to a 
boil, take off the scum that may rise, stir in 3 ounces of butter mixed with a 
tablespoon of sifted flour; let it boil one minute until it thickens; pour it over the 
steak and serve hot. 

Beefsteak Pie. — Put about 2 pounds of steak (round steak will answer) 
into a sauce-pan with a gill of water; put on the cover and simmer for an hour; 
then cut the steak into small pieces about % inch square; put them into a white 
pudding-dish, thicken the juice with a tablespoon of corn-starch, season with 
salt, pepper, and herbs, also with garlic or onion if liked, and pour it over the 
meat; then cover with a rich pie crust and bake until the crust is a rich golden 
brown. This is good to serve at luncheons. A less expensive pie can be made 
by covering the meat with a nice baking-powder biscuit dough. Bake this also 
until it is nicely browned. 

Beefsteak, Rolled. — Put a slice of round steak on the meat-board, sprinkle on 
a little salt and pepper, and put on bits of butter, with a little chopped onion if 
liked, and a little sifted sage; spread over it mashed potatoes, or sliced raw pota- 
toes, and roll it up; wind with a string and fasten the ends with skewers; put in 
a baking-pan with a pint of water and bake slowly an hour; baste often. 

Beefsteak Smothered in Onions. — Cut 6 onions very fine, put them in a sauce- 
pan with 2 cups hot water, 2 oz. butter, some pepper, salt, and dredge in flour; let 
stew until the onions are quite soft. Have the steak broiled, put it into the 
sauce-pan with the onions, let simmer 5 or 10 minutes; send to the table very hot. 

Hamburg Steak. — Lay your beefsteak on the meat-board, salt and pepper it 
as required; peel and slice a few onions and cover the steak. Then with chop- 
ping-knife chop all together until like hash, and fry in hot fat, either in balls like 



MEATS. Ill 

sausage, or plain. Leave out the onions unless you know every one at the table 
likes them. This is delicious. 

Boiled Dinner. — Boil the corn-beef early in the day; when tender, take it out 
and skim the fat off the meat liquor; then, long enough before dinner for them to 
cook nicely, put into the boiling meat liquor the carrots first, having them washed 
and scraped; a little later put in the cabbage which has been quartered, and the 
turnips which have been pared and sliced; last, about % hour before dinner, put 
in the potatoes (peeled) and a crook-neck squash, peeled and sliced. Boil the 
beets by themselves. When done, take up the vegetables, put the cabbage in a 
colander and press out the water, cut up the carrots, and serve the meat and veg- 
etables separately. Try and serve them as attractively as possible. This is better 
than boiling meat and vegetables together. 

MINCED BEEF. 

2 cups of cold minced beef. 1 bunch of parsley. 1 tablespoon of Chutnee sauce. 

1 shallot, or small onion. 1 teacup of gravy. Butter the size of an egg. 

Put the butter in a sauce-pan, slice and fry the onion until a yellowish brown, 
add the gravy, then the chopped parsley; stir in the chutnee, add the beef, and 
let it get hot, but do not re-cook. Serve it on a platter garnished with parsley 
and fried bread. 

Mock Sausage. — Take 1 lb. of cold beef and chop fine; then take 3 tablespoons 
of chopped or mashed potatoes, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of flour, and a small slice of 
bread; moisten the bread with milk or water, stir all together, add salt, pepper, 
and a little sage, or chop an onion in. Make in small balls, and shape like slices 
of sausage. Fry in a little hot fat like potato balls, and when brown on one side, 
turn over and brown the other. 

Sausage Roll. — Make a dough as for baking powder biscuit; roll out and cut 
in large rounds with a large biscuit cutter; lay fine sausage meat on half of each 
piece, turn the other half over and pinch together; lay close together in a baking- 
tin or dripping-pan, and bake % hour. These are good either hot or cold. 

Potted Meat or Fish. — All kinds of meats can be potted, and the same general 
principles hold good for all. Take the cooked meat or fish, remove it from , the 
bones, clear away all skin and gristle, and pound it in a mortar. It should be 
well pounded, reduced to a smooth paste, and no unbroken fibre left. Then add 
spices, pepper, salt, made mustard, mace and cayenne; the amount used varies. 
If it is intended for immediate use, add the spices sparingly; if to be kept some 
time, spice highly. Then moisten with melted butter, and press the mixture 
down in small pots or jars of stone or earthenware, and let it get thoroughly hot 
in the oven; or better, steam it 30 minutes in the steamer. Then press down 
again and cover with hot clarified butter or beef suet, and tie paper dipped in egg 
over the top. Game of all kinds, fish and beef, are best put up alone, but chicken 
or veal can be mixed with tongue or ham. This potted meat can be used in slices, 
or for sandwiches, and- as it will keep for weeks if properly put up, it offers a 
change from hashes or stews, for using remnants of food which are left over. 

Preserving Meat. — In cold weather when meat is plentiful, it can be preserved 
for a long time by treating it in the following manner: Take large pieces of the 
fore-quarter of beef (the cheap pieces of the neck and shoulders); boil it slowly 
in just water enough to cover, until it is tender; add a little salt for the last hour; let 
it stand until quite cold, then mince it finely; season well with pepper, and last, 
pack tightly in a stone jar, put a few whole cloves on the top, then pour over it 



112 MEATS. 

hot, melted beef suet. When this gets cold, cover the jar with a cloth, then with 
the cover, and store in a cool room. This is ready to use for mince pies, and for 
slicing to put in a potato pie, or it can be cut in slices and served cold with hot 
baked potatoes, for breakfast. 

VEAL. 

Veal should be thoroughly cooked, for cases are not uncommon of illness aris- 
ing from eating under-done veal. The flesh is rather indigestible. No meat is 
more useful for making stews and gravies than veal. It needs much seasoning as 
it is deficient in flavor, and while it is richer in gelatine than beef, it has less 
nitrogen. It contains the least heat producing elements of any meat, and is best 
eaten with bacon and jelly, rice or potatoes, etc., which supply the elements it 
lacks. 

Old Veal. — This is most delicious meat and but little known. It is a calf kept 
yarded near the house, fed liberally with skimmed milk, vegetables of all kinds, 
and fattened to the age of 5 or 6 months in this way, then killed in the fall when 
the vegetables are gone. It is dressed and used like beef. 

< Breakfast Veal. — Butter a small oval dish very thoroughly, and fill with bits 
of cold, stewed veal, seasoned with pepper, salt, and a little nutmeg; put in alter- 
nately with layers of bread crumbs; moisten with gravy, put bits of butter over 
the top, and bake. When it is brown, turn out of the dish on a hot platter and 
garnish with parsley. If not too moist, it will keep its form when turned out. 

Veal, Creamed. — Chop cold veal, or cut in small, thin slices, leaving out the 
stringy part for your stock kettle. If you have a pint of meat, it is enough for a 
handsome dish. Put 1 teacup of rich milk into the teakettle pail, and, when hot, 
add 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 of butter, braided together. Let it boil up, and 
then stir in the veal, seasoned with pe/pper, salt, a pinch of mace, and a slice of 
onion. When hot, pour on a platter edged with leaves of puff pastry, and lay a 
few on the top of the mince. The leaves can be made of remnants of pastry 
when you are making pies. 

Calf's Brains. — Remove all the fibrous membrane which covers them, and 
throw into a pint of cold water containing % teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vin- 
egar. Boil 3 minutes, and plunge into cold water. When cold, cut into small 
pieces, season with salt and pepper; egg and bread-crumb, and fry in a little hot 
drippings. They may be prepared early in the day if for dinner, or the night 
before if for breakfast, and they may be served plaid or with tomato sauce. 

Veal Cutlets, Breaded. — Egg and bread-crumb the cutlets, and fry them in 
smoking hot fat, turning them until well done. Then take up and pour over 
them a good brown gravy; serve hot. They may be garnished with parsley. 

Calf's Liver, Fried. —Cut the liver in thin slices, pour hot water over, to blanch it; 
let stand in the water while you fry the fat from }{ dozen slices of breakfast bacon; 
take out the bacon and cut a large onion in slices and fry brown; then fry the 
liver, after drying it in a cloth; after the liver is brown on both sides, sprinkle 
over it a little salt and a teaspoon of curry powder; cover and stew 20 minutes. 

Calfs Liver, Stewed. — Wash and lard a calf's liver; chop 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 1 
stalk of celery, and 1 onion, and place them in the bottom of a deep baking-pan; 
place the liver on top, sprinkle salt and pepper over the whole, and pour on a pint 
of boiling water; cover the pan, and place in a moderate oven for two hours; when 
done, remove the liver, put a teaspoon of butter into a frying-pan, and place over 
the fire to heat; add the liquor strained from the vegetables, and a little flour, stir 



MEATS. 113 

until it begins to boil, then add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce; pour 
over the liver and serve at once. 

Roast Fillet of Teal. — Bone the joint, make a deep incision between the fillet 
and saddle, and fill with dressing made as for poultry; bind the joint in round 
form and fasten with skewers and twine, and roast slowly. Baste well with but- 
ter, dredge over a little flour, and butter well; make gravy of drippings, with the 
juice of a lemon added; garnish the platter on which the meat is served with 
slices of lemon and parsley. 

Teal Loaf. — Chop 3^ lbs. of lean and fat raw veal very fine, with 1 slice of 
salt pork; add 6 crackers rolled fine, butter the size of an egg, 2 eggs, 1 table- 
spoon of pepper and one of sage; mix this thoroughly and pack it tightly in a 
deep, square tin; sprinkle over the top a little melted butter and fine cracker 
crumbs. Cover it with another tin and bake 2 hours; uncover and brown the 
top. Serve cold in thin slices. This is very nice for a picnic lunch. 

Veal Mayonnaise. — Cut pieces of cold veal into bits, not as small as dice; put 
in an equal quantity of celery, cut in small pieces; mix thoroughly, and pour 
over it a little of the dressing, reserving the rest to put over the top when it is 
arranged in the dish; garnish with lettuce leaves, and hard-boiled eggs cut in 
slices. Lettuce can be substituted for celery. 

Molded Teal. — Cut thin slices of cold roasted veal, put them in the bottom of 
a pan, season with pepper, salt, and chopped celery; add a layer of hard-boiled 
eggs sliced thin, then a layer of thinly-sliced, cold boiled ham, and in this way 
fill the pan. Pour over it enough stock to cover the meat, and bake in the oven 
1 hour. Let it stand until cold, and serve in thin slices. 

Veal Pot-pie. — Take 2 or 3 pounds of fat veal, cut it in small pieces, and put 
over the fire in cold water. When it comes to the boiling point, skim well, then 
cook slowly about an hour; do not boil rapidly, as that tends to make the meat 
hard. At the end of an hour sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add a sliced onion 
if liked by all, and a handful of washed rice to thicken it a little. Pare and slice 
enough potatoes for the family, and add to the stew; when the broth boils again, 
after putting in the potatoes, add dumplings made of baking-powder biscuit- 
dough, or crusts made from recipe for pot-pie crust. 

Pot-pie Crust. — One pint sour milk, 1 teacup sour cream, 1 teaspoon soda; 
mix hard like bread, let it stand 1 hour to rise; never roll nor cut, but nip it off 
in pieces the size you want, let boil 30 minutes, without lifting the lid, and you 
will always have them like a puff. 

Veal-and-Ham Pie.— Qut the veal into very small pieces and put a layer on 
the bottom of a pudding-dish; sprinkle over it a seasoning of salt, pepper and 
powdered herbs (sage, thyme, summer savory, etc.); then lay on thin slices of 
cold boiled ham, fat and lean together, then another layer of veal, and so pro- 
ceed to fill the dish; pour in enough cold stock or water to cover the meat, 
having sliced ham on the top; cover the top with a thick puff paste, and bake an 
hour in a hot oven. Put a dish of hot water in the oven to prevent scorching 
the crust. When this is cold, it should be a firm jelly inside. 

"It's a veal-and-ham pie," said Mr. Boffin. "Is it indeed, sir? And it would be hard, sir, 
to name the pie that is a better pie than a weel and hammer, "said Mr. Wegg. 

Roast Veal Pie. — Cut cold roast veal into slices, with the stuffing, and lay 
them in a deep dish, adding pepper and salt; dredge lightly with flour, and put 
in the gravy that was left, with a little hot water added to it; a dish that holds 
8 



1U MEATS. 

3 pints will require 1 cup of gravy. Cover the top of the pie with a cruet made 
as follows: Crust. — One pint of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking-powder sifted 
through it; add a piece of butter as large as }4. an e gg> rubbing it into the flour 
with the hand. Wet with some sweet milk, enough to make a dough as soft as 
you can handle it. Different qualities of flour differ in the quantity of wetting 
required. 

Scalloped Teal. — Mince cold veal very fine. Put a layer in the bottom of a 
buttered pudding-dish, season with pepper, salt and a very little nutmeg; then 
put in a thin layer of fine cracker crumbs, then another layer of meat, and so on 
until the dish is full. Wet with good broth; if you have no broth, make a little 
by boiling the bones and trimmings of your veal. Put over the top a layer of 
cracker crumbs, wet into a paste with a little milk, and mixed with a beaten egg. 
If your oven is not very slow, it is best to cover the dish with a pan for the first 
% hour, and then let it brown 10 minutes after you uncover it. 

SPICED VEAL. 

3 lbs. veal cut fine. 1 large slice fat pork. 3 eggs beaten -well. 

3 Boston crackers rolled fine. Yz teacup of catsup. 1 lemon, rind and juice. 

The salt and pepper should be mixed with the crackers; mix all, moisten with 
water and butter. Bake 2 hours. 

Smothered Veal.— Place in the bottom of a baking-pan 3 or i potatoes sliced, 
1 small onion sliced, 2 slices of salt pork cut into strips; season with salt, pepper 
and sage; place over this 3 or 4 pounds of veal from the breast, or any other part 
desired; cover the meat with sliced potatoes, onion and other seasoning; sprinkle 
over all a tablespoon of flour, add a pint of water, cover the pan with another 
one, and place in the oven and cook 1% hour, adding water if it cooks dry. 

Teal Stew. — Cut up 2 pounds of veal, and after having washed it carefully, 
put it in the dinner -pot; add 3 pints of water, put in 1 onion, pepper and salt, and 
let it stew an hour; then add sliced potatoes, and take a crust made with a pint of 
flour, a cup of sour milk, and % a teaspoon of soda sifted through the flour, a 
pinch Of salt; cut up in squares, dust a little flour over them, lay them in on top, 
cover closely and cook % an hour. 

Veal Toast. —One cup of chopped veal, 1 cup of hot water, a piece of butter as 
large as a butternut, 1 teaspoon of salt, and % teaspoon of pepper. Have ready 
on a platter slices of bread toasted brown, and buttered; if the crusts are hard, 
dip the edges in hot water. When the minced veal is thoroughly hot, pour it on 
the toast, and serve at once. 

Sweetbreads. — At once on coming from the butcher (and that should be as 
soon as possible after the animal is killed) sweetbreads should be soaked 1 or 2 
hours in cold water, and then cooked about 20 minutes in boiling water contain- 
ing 1 teaspoon each of salt and lemon juice; then plunge them into cold water to 
harden them; take out and put into a towel to drain out all the water, and re- 
move the pipes and membranes. They may then be cut into thin slices and 
broiled; or egged and bread-crumbed and fried in hot fat; or sauted; or stewed 
in a very little water, and seasoned with salt, pepper and butter. Serve with 
any of the meat sauces best liked by the individual. 

Sweetbread Croquettes. — After preparing 2 pairs of sweetbreads as above, 
cut them into dice, and also cut up and add % box of mushrooms. Into a sauce- 
pan put 1 large tablespoon of butter, and when it bubbles, sprinkle in 1 table- 
spoon of flour; cook well and add % cup cream or soup stock; heat and add the 
sweetbreads and mushrooms; when well heated, lift from the fire and add yolks of 



MEATS, 115 

2 eggs well beaten; form into croquettes when cool, then egg and bread-crumb, 
and fry in smoking hot lard. 

Creamed Sweetbreads. — Prepare as above, and then with a silver knife pick 
them in pieces; then put 1 tablespoon butter in the sauce-pan; melt without 
browning it, add 1 tablespoon flour, stir till smooth; add 1 cup cream and the 
sweetbreads, stir till it thickens; lift from the stove, season with salt and pepper 
and serve. 

Sweetbreads consist of the Thymus Gland found in the neck of veal and lamb. It de- 
creases in size and flavor as the animal grows older. The glands are found in the back 
part of the throat and in the breast. There should always be 2 of them, although they are 
sometimes sold separately. The heart sweetbread is so called because it lies nearest the 
heart. It is the lower one and is round in shape. The throat sweetbread is the upper one, 
and is long and narrow. They are a great delicacy (those of the cal f are most esteemed) and 
if properly prepared make a fine dish to tempt the appetite of the invalid, although opin- 
ions differ somewhat as to their digestibility. The pancreatic gland of the bullock (that is, 
the gland near the stomach which secretes the pancreatic juice which aids in digesting the 
food) is sometimes sold as sweetbreads, but it is inferior in quality to the thymus gland of 
young animals, and requires long and careful washing and cooking. 



MUTTON AND LAMB. 

Within the limits of wholesomeness, mutton varies immensely in quality and 
flavor. It is often thought more digestible than beef and is therefore prescribed 
for invalids. All young meat is less digestible and is also less nourishing than 
full-grown, but lamb has a better repute in this respect than veal. Although 
mutton may be served rare, lamb should be thoroughly cooked always. The 
strong flavor of mutton, which is disagreeable to many, comes from the penetra- 
tion through the skin of the oil from the wool; the thin outside skin should be 
taken off before cooking the meat. Mutton should always be served on hot plates 
in the winter, never allowing any cold mutton tallow to appear on the edges and 
disfigure the dish. 

Boiled Mutton. — Cut off the superfluous fat from a breast of mutton, remove 
as much of the bone as will bring it into shape for the kettle, add water to only 
half cover it, and cover the kettle tightly; let it boil gently for an hour, then 
turn it in the kettle, and season with salt, pepper, and herbs if liked. Add a little 
more water if needed, and boil for another hour; then serve with caper sauce. 

A mutton ham can be boiled in the above manner with another half hour's 
time. A leg of lamb also can be cooked in this way in about an hour and a half. 

Mutton Chops. — Remove a portion of the fat and trim them into a nice shape; 
place the gridiron over a bright, clear fire, rub the bars with a little fat, and lay 
on the chops. Whilst broiling, frequently turn them, and in about 8 minutes 
they will be done. Season with pepper and salt. Serve hot on a hot dish. Or 
they can be baked in a dripping-pan in a hot oven, basting frequently; they are 
very nice this way. They can also be fried on a frying-pan, having it very hot, 
and using no other fat than that from the chop. As soon as one side is seared 
(in about 1 minute) turn over on the other; then finish the cooking more slowly. 
Sprinkle salt on each side when almost done. 

Mutton and Rice. — Mince into dice, pieces of cold mutton or lamb; add 1 cup 
of cold boiled rice to 1 cup of meat; butter the sauce-pan thoroughly, pour in a 
little water, add the mutton and rice, and stir until it is hot; then pour in 2 eggs 
slightly beaten, and stir until the eggs are cooked. Season with salt and pepper 
to taste. 

Mutton Patties. — Mince cold mutton, fat and lean together, and season with 
salt and pepper; if the mutton is lean, add a piece of butter and warm all to- 
gether in a sauce-pan, with a little water to make it moist; put it in patty-pans, 



116 MEATS. 

and cover the top with mashed potatoes; put a bit of butter in a little dent in the 

center and bake in the oven to a delicate brown. Serve hot in the patty-pans. 

Mutton Pies. — Mince coarsely, cold mutton, fat and lean together, and put in 

the bottom of a pudding-dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, with a little butter 

if the mutton is not fat, then cover deeply with hot mashed potatoes; set in the 

oven to brown a little, and to let the pudding-dish get thoroughly hot. Serve 

with hot plates. 

Warming cold minced meats, as a pie with mashed potatoes, is one of the hest ways of 
re-warming any kind offish or cold meat— the most appetizing and the most economical. 

Mutton or Lamb Pie. — Cut finely, bits of raw mutton or lamb; put to stew in just 
water enough to cover, and cook slowly until the bones, if there are any, will sep- 
arate from the meat. Put them in a pudding-dish, season and thicken the 
gravy, and pour over the meat in the baking-dish. Make a nice baking-powder 
biscuit-dough, and cover the pie; bake until the crust is a golden brown. 

Mutton Reehauffe. — Slice an onion and fry it brown in the pan, with a little 
good butter; then put in a pint of good stock, or water, if you have no stock, and 
let it come to boiling. Thicken with a teaspoon of corn-starch wet in a little 
water. When it has boiled, strain out the onion, and add salt and pepper to 
taste. Have cold sliced mutton on a hot platter; pour the hot sauce over it, and 
send to the breakfast table with hot plates. 

Scrambled Mutton.— Take 2 cups of cold chopped mutton or lamb, 2 table- 
spoons of hot water, a piece of butter the size of an English walnut. When the 
meat is hot, break into it 3 eggs and cook until the eggs begin to stiffen, stirring 
constantly. Season with pepper and salt. 

Irish Stew. — This is a nice and economical dish, and can be made from any 
kind of meat, the best being the best end of the neck of mutton. Remove nearly 
all the fat from 2 lbs. of meat, and cut it into chops. Peel and slice 3 lbs. pota- 
toes, and also slice 1% pounds onions. Put a layer of potatoes in the kettle, then 
a layer of onions, then meat; pepper and salt it well, and so put in all the materials 
in layers. Add 1 or 2 cups water, cover closely, and let it stew (not boil) 2 or 3 
hours. 

Scotch Stew. — Cut 2 pounds of fresh mutton into small pieces; put them into 
a stew-pan with 3 quarts of cold water and a tablespoon of salt; set it upon the 
fire, and cook very slowly, letting it simmer, and keeping it well skimmed. After it 
has simmered an hour, add a large carrot, 2 turnips, 2 large onions, all cut in 
pieces, and 2 small heads of cabbage. Let the whole simmer until tender, and 
serve it with the various ingredients. 

Mutton and Tomatoes. — Cut cold roast mutton in thin slices, fat and lean 
together; put it on a hot platter, and pour over it 5 or 6 tomatoes, stewed, and 
seasoned with salt, pepper, a bay leaf, a little pulverized sage, and a bit of onion, 
if liked. If the mutton is lean, add a piece of butter the size of an egg to the 
tomatoes. There should not be much juice of the tomatoes, and the excess 
should be poured off before seasoning. Good for breakfast with baked potatoes 
and toast. 

Boiled Sheeps' Tongues. — Boil % doz, tongues until tender, in water which 
is salted and contains the juice of % a lemon. Sauce Tartare is excellent to 
serve with them. 

Escaloped Lamb. — Chop coarsely, cold lamb, either baked or boiled, and put 
a layer in a pudding-dish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and little bits of 
butter, then a layer of bread crumbs, and thus fill the dish, having a layer of 



MEATS. 117 

crumbs on the top; fill the dish with hot water up to the top layer of crumbs, 
and bake until the crumbs are browned. 

Lambs' Liver, Curried. — Cut it in convenient slices to serve, soak in salted 
water for 5 minutes, while an onion is frying in salt pork fat; take the liver 
from the water, dry in a cloth, then put it into a pan and fry brown on both sides. 
Have the fat hot, and fry quickly. When brown, add a little water or stock, dust 
with salt and a little curry powder, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. 

Lamb, Grilled. — Take a cold shoulder of lamb, and score the meat deeply at % 
inch distances; prepare a teaspoon of salt, 1 of white pepper, a saltspoon of 
cayenne, a trifle of onion juice, and the strained juice of a lemon; rub this into 
the meat at night. In the morning, put on a gridiron over a clear, coal fire, and 
thoroughly heat through; put on a hot platter and spread with softened butter. 
Send to the table with hot plates. 

Kid. — This is cooked in many ways, like lamb, and is much like lamb after 
being cooked. 

Sheep's Brains. — Remove the skin and blood vessels and put them in warm 
water for 2 hours; then put them in boiling water, containing a little salt and vin- 
egar, and leave until firm; then take out and put in very cold water. Then drain, 
dry, brush with oil, and roll in crumbs, well seasoned with pepper and salt. Put 
slices of bacon on them, and bake in a well heated oven, basting frequently. 
When nicely browned, take up, put the slices of bacon on toast, and lay the 
brains on the bacon. Serve with tomato, Tartare, or some acid sauce. 

MEAT R'OIiY POLY. 

4 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking-powder. 1 teacup milk. 1 teaspoon salt. 

Do not use any shortening, but mix and roll out %, m ch thick, and spread 
minced mutton, veal or chicken on it. Have the meat free from gristle, and 
season it with pepper and salt. Then roll the crust over and over, and put it on 
a buttered plate, and steam in the steamer % hour. Serve for breakfast or lunch, 
giving a slice to each person, with gravy served with it. 



PORK. 

Pork, more than any other meat, requires to be chosen with the greatest care. 
If it is killed and the flesh eaten when in an unhealthy condition, those who eat 
it will probably pay dearly for their indulgence. Care should be taken that pork 
is thoroughly cooked, as it is most indigestible when under-dressed. Uncooked 
or under-cooked pork should on no account be eaten. Exposure to the tempera- 
ture of boiling water effectually kills the trichina, but obviously every part of the 
meat, inside and out, must be fully heated to destroy all the trichina, and there 
is no safety without that. 

To freshen salt pork or ham, after cutting in slices, soak it for a few hours, or 
over night, in milk and water, or in sour milk, which is quite as good; afterwards 
rinse it until the water is clear, before frying, and it will be as palatable as salt 
pork can be made. 

Baked Ham. — Cover the ham with cold water (after having thoroughly cleaned 
it) and simmer gently just long enough to loosen the skin, so that it can be easily 
taken off — in 2 or 3 hours, if the ham is large. After skinning, place it in a drip- 
ping-pan in the oven, and pour over it a teacup of vinegar, and 1 of water; put a 
little mustard in the water, and baste the ham with this while baking slowly for 
an hour; then cover the ham all over thickly with sugar, in which is mixed a 
tablespoon of flour, and bake slowly another hour without basting. This gives a 



118 MEATS. 

nice, brown, glazed crust; when it has partly cooled, turn a flat dish on the pot, 
and put a weight on it, to get thoroughly cold. This latter process insures nice, 
smooth slices when cut. The juice of a lemon may be substituted for the vin- 
egar, if preferred. 

Hain Balls. — With 3^ cup of bread crumbs mix 2 well-beaten eggs and some 
finely-chopped ham; season with pepper and a very little salt; make into balls, 
and fry in hot fat. 

Boiled Ham. — To boil a ham it must first be thoroughly washed and scraped 
in warm water, containing a little baking-soda; then rinse in cold water, put it 
over the fire, skin side upward in the kettle, with water enough to completely 
cover it; let it slowly simmer 3 or 4 hours,' according to the size; if it cooks rap- 
idly, it will break in pieces. When done, take it from the kettle and remove the 
skin while hot, leaving on all the fat; stick cloves all over the fat part, and put it 
into the oven, to brown a little. It should be entirely cold before it is cut. Both 
lean and fat should be served in carving, as many persons like the latter best. 
Mustard, spiced vinegar, catsup, or pickles, are used as condiments with this. 

Broiled Ham. — Ham is better broiled than fried. Slice it thin, and broil the 
slices on a gridiron, and when done on both sides, place on a platter with a fried 
egg on each slice. It should be broiled over bright, hot coals, from 3 to 6 minutes. 

Ham Patties. — Take 1 pint of cold boiled ham, finely chopped; mix it with an 
equal quantity of bread crumbs wet in milk to make a soft batter; put the batter 
in patty-pans, break a fresh egg over each pan, sprinkle the top of each dish 
thickly with cracker crumbs, and bake until brown on the top. 

Boast Pig. — The pig should weigh twelve pounds at least, before dressing; the 
butcher should dress it, leaving on the head and feet, and clean thoroughly; the 
harslet should be sent with the pig. First cook the liver and heart by boiling 
about 20 minutes in a little salted water; then chop them finely. Cut a loaf of 
bread in slices and dip in cold water, chop, and add to the harslet; pour over it a 
teacup of melted butter, and 2 well-beaten eggs; season with pepper, salt, sage, 
and onions if liked. Mix all together, and fill the pig; then sew it together. 
Bend the front legs under at the knees, and the hind legs forward at the gambrel 
joint; put a stick in the mouth to keep it open, wind a cord around to keep the 
legs in place; put in the dripping-pan with a little water, and tin dishes on each 
side to keep it on the knees. Bake until done — 2 to 3 hours. Baste frequently, 
using melted butter at first; do not let it burn. Put a small red apple or lemon 
in the mouth before sending to the table, and serve with baked sour apples. 

Boiled Pigs' Feet. — The 2 front feet should be cleaned, scraped, and to keep 
them in shape wrap them tightly in muslin, and sew or tie it up; boil 6 or 7 
hours moderately; then let them cool, take off the wrapping and they will be like 
jelly. They can then be split, rolled in crumbs, and broiled or fried. Some acid 
sauce should be served with them. 

Spare-ribs and Chines. — These are usually too fat to cook in any other way 
than by baking or roasting in the oven; in this way much of the superfluous fat 
is drawn from them. Rub them well with a little fine salt, flour, pepper, and 
pulverized sage, if liked; put them on the rack in the dripping-pan, containing a 
pint of hot water; the oven must be hot, but not enough to scorch the meat; baste 
often. The meat should bake about 2 hours, or until it is well browned; then 
take it up, pour off the fat from the gravy, at one corner of. the dripping-pan, and 
thicken the remainder with a tablespoon of flour or corn-starch; add a little 



MEATS. 119 

water to make about a pint of gravy. Serve with sour baked apples, onions, po- 
tatoes and mashed turnips. Shoulder chine of pork, and loin, is cooked in the 
same manner. 

Pork requires long and thorough cooking, for the texture of the flesh is close; fresh 
spare-ribs particularly require it, to extract all the superfluous fat, and it should he 
roasted or baked until of a rich brown color. 

Chine of Pork.— The chine of an animal is the back-bone with the meat attached, and 
griskin (a term obsolete in this country) is used in England to designate the back-bone of 
swine, and particularly that part lying between the shoulders of the animal. The chine of 
pork is more often divided into " fore-loin," that part lying between the shoulders; "spare- 
ribs," or that part containing the long ribs, and " hind-loin," or small part of the spine just 
above the hams. In England, the hind-loin is sometimes called a chine when the bone is 
uncut and the two sides of the loin are in one piece, corresponding to the "baron of beef," 
or "saddle of mutton." In England these are all roasted, but in this country (the land of 
Yankee-cooking-stoves) all divisions of the chine are cooked exactly like the middle pieces 
or spare-ribs. 

Pork Cutlets. — Take the remains of cold baked pork and cut it in nice pieces 
of the right size to serve; put a little of the cold fat in a frying-pan and let it get 
hot; fry a sliced onion brown, then lay in the cutlets, and fry them a light brown 
in the fat with the onions; take them up, and make a gravy with a little corn- 
starch and cold water; season with salt and pepper, and when thickened, pour it 
over the cutlets and serve. 

Pork and Eggs. — Cut 2 or 3 slices of salt pork in dice, and fry, often turning 
it over and over with a fork; then break 5 or 6 fresh eggs and put them in the 
pan with the pork; stir all together rapidly, and cook until the eggs are set. 

Pork Rechauffe (Re-heated). — Cut finely, cold roast pork, put a layer of this 
in the bottom of a pan or pudding-dish and season to taste; then a layer of bread 
crumbs, another layer of cold pork, and thus fill the dish; have a layer of fine 
crumbs on the top, but before putting them on, pour into the dish enough broth 
or water to moisten the ingredients; then put crumbs on the top, and bake until 
brown on top. Cold baked or roasted pork is more often served cold, nicely 
sliced and sent to the table with hot baked, or mashed potatoes. 

Pork Steaks. — Take slices of fresh pork that have the fat and lean well 
blended, put on a hot gridiron and broil it thoroughly over a clear coal fire, turn- 
ing often, and lifting if the dropping fat blazes to scorch the meat; put it on a 
hot platter, sprinkle with salt, and send in with baked potatoes. 

Fried Salt Pork. — This is a most excellent dish when properly prepared, for 
those who are blessed with a good digestion. The pork should be of the best 
quality, arid "clear fat." Cut the slices nearly J^ of an inch thick, take off the 
rind, put in a hot frying-pan, and fry until crisp. Place the pork around the 
edge of the platter, fry a few eggs for the center, and serve. Salt pork is some- 
times dipped in flour or yellow cornmeal before frying, and is excellent. After 
taking up the pork, a nice milk gravy can be made by adding corn-starch or flour 
to milk; pour it into the hot fat from the pork, and stir until it is thickened and 
well blended. This gravy is good with new potatoes; also delicious with buck- 
wheat muffins. 

Souse. — Clean the ears, feet and gristly part (not the fat) of the pig's head; 
let them soak 12 hours in brine, then take out, scrape clean, and soak again in 
fresh brine. Then wash, put them in cold water, and boil gently until the bones 
loosen from the meat. Then put the meat in jars (not earthenware, or the 
vinegar will act on it) and cover with boiling hot spiced vinegar. 

Souse Pie. — Cut the toes from the pig's feet, and use the legs up to the ham. 
Soak and clean well; cut in pieces, and boil in water to cover, with a little salt, 
until tender. Add a little boiling water from time to time as it evaporates, and 



120 MEATS. 

turn the meat from the bottom of the kettle with a skimmer to prevent burning. 
Take out the meat when done, and remove the bones; put the meat in a pan, or 
large pudding-dish, adding a little more salt if necessary; thicken the broth with 
corn-starch and pour over the meat; cover it with baking-powder biscuit-dough, 
and bake until the dough is well browned. Cheap and good. 

Salt Pork Dinner. — Cut enough slices of salt pork to cover the bottom of the 
frying-pan; take off the rind; pour hot water over the pork and turn it off 
immediately; dip each slice in flour, and fry it brown on both sides; take it up 
on a platter and keep warm. Pour nearly all the fat into another frying-pan and 
fill it with sour apples already sliced, with the skins on. Sprinkle the apples with 
a little salt, and cover tightly With a deep, white pie-plate; stew until the apples 
are soft. In the meantime add a pint of sweet milk to the fat left in the first 
pan; let it simmer, then thicken with a little flour or corn-starch, and send it to 
the table in a bowl or gravy-boat. Serve with new potatoes and sweet-corn. 

Pork Worst. — Cut a pig's head in pieces, and soak, with the liver and heart, 
over night in slightly salted water. The next morning wash and put it over the 
fire to cook slowly, in just water enough to cover it. When the bones will 
separate, take them all out, and cut the meat in very small pieces; return to the 
kettle, add salt, pepper, and any sweet herbs liked; then thicken it to the con- 
sistency of mush, with flour; fill square baking-pans with it, and let it get cold; 
then slice, dip in flour, and fry in salt pork fat. 

Head-Cheese (English Brawn). — The cheeks of pigs' heads are reserved for 
salting with the hams and shoulders; the remainder is cut in pieces and soaked 
over night in salted water; the next morning wash thoroughly, and put over the 
fire in a kettle with just water enough to cover the meat (the cleansed pigs' feet 
may be added). Simmer slowly until the bones will easily separate from the 
meat, then take it up in a pan and pick out every bone; cut the meat in small 
pieces, season to taste with salt, pepper, and sifted sage; pour over the broth from 
the kettle, and put it in a cold pantry to harden. When thoroughly cold, remove 
the fat from the top of the pan, cut in slices, and serve with hot baked, or mashed 
potatoes. 

Sausages, to Cook. — Sausage cakes are usually fried; when they are in skins, 
they should be pricked to prevent them from bursting, and they should be turned 
on all sides to insure thorough cooking. Sausages, especially those made of pork, 
should always be well cooked, and should never look red in the center when cut. 
They are best baked, as they are cooked slowly and are more thoroughly browned 
than when fried. Serve with baked potatoes, or mashed potatoes and other 
vegetables. The large Bologna sausages, made of beef mostly, require a long and 
thorough boiling for 3 or 4 hours; they are then dried and smoked. They are 
usually prepared and cooked by the butcher, and are eaten cold. The best thing 
to serve with pork sausages is apple-sauce. They garnish a roast turkey nicely. 



POULTRY. 

In selecting poultry, choose those which are plump, but not too fat. If they 
are young, they should be firm to the touch. If the bone across the breast above 
the hollow skin is hard to the touch, the bird is old; in young ones it is more like 
gristle. White-legged birds are given the preference by some, because they look 
better on the table, but black are equally good eating. Dark-fleshed game can 



MEATS. 121 

be eaten rare, but the white-fleshed should always be well done. In preparing 
poultry great care is required not to break the gall-bladder, for if it is broken, the 
gall will leave a bitter taste on every place it touches, which cannot be washed off. 

Young poultry has not an excess of fat unless it has been "crammed" for that 
purpose, in which case it should be avoided, as that process affects the health of 
the fowls. Poultry and all meats should be cooked immediately if the least sign 
of taint appears; give it first a thorough washing in soda water, then a rinsing in 
clear water to which a little vinegar has been added; then either bake or roast it, 
as that mode of cooking drives away bad odors from meat better than any other. 
See our article on Marketing and Keeping Provisions for further hints about pur- 
chasing poultry, etc. 

It is better to leave onions out of all meat dressings, unless you are sure they 
are liked by all at the table. A rich onion sauce can be sent in with them, or 
boiled onions served as one vegetable, for those who like them. 

If a roast fowl cannot be served as soon as it is done, put it over a kettle of 
boiling water and put a dripping-pan over it, which will keep it from drying up. 

If old fowls are washed in warm soda water, the strong smell will be overcome. 

The garnishes for fotols are parsley, water-cress, horseradish, slices of lemon, 
slices of ham, fried oysters or sausages, and forcemeat-balls. 

To Draw a Fowl. — Place the fowl on its back, and make a slit lengthwise in 
the skin of the neck from the body to the head; free the neck from the skin, and 
cut off the neck as close to the body as possible; then cut the skin, leaving a flap 
at least 3 inches long hanging to the breast. Loosen the crop and the windpipe, 
and insert the first finger, keeping it close to the inside surface of the body; work 
it round, breaking all the ligaments with which it comes in contact, thus loosen- 
ing the contents of the carcass. Be careful not to thrust the finger into, the 
center, for if the gall-bladder is broken, the gall will impart a bitter taste to 
whatever it may touch. Turn the bird, slightly enlarge the opening at the vent, 
insert the finger, and loosen the insides from the carcass at that end. Turn the 
bird again, and place it on its back; press the breast with the thumbs, and push 
out the gizzard by the hole at the vent; take hold of it and pull steadily, when 
the whole of the interior should be brought away entire. If all the insides are 
removed, little washing will be needed. Wipe it out with a damp cloth, or rinse 
quickly and wipe dry. If the breast bone protrudes too much, put a cloth over it 
and beat it down flat, putting something like a pestle inside to pound on. 

To Truss a Fowl. — After stuffing the fowl, sew the skin of the neck over the 
back. Then run a long skewer through the pinion and then through the body and 
out through the other pinion, pressing them close to the body. Also press a skewer 
through the thigTi and body and out through the other i high. Pass a string over 
the projecting ends of the skewers, and tie it firmly at the back, to keep the bird 
firmly trussed. The legs can be crossed over the tail and firmly tied. The wings 
and thighs can be tied in place by winding a string around the body, if you have 
no skewers; cut the string off carefully when done, so as not to tear the flesh. 

Boned Poultry. — Cut through the skin down the center of the back, and raise 
the flesh carefully on either side, with the point of a sharp knife, until the sock- 
ets of the wings and thighs are reached. Until a little practice has been gained, 
it will perhaps be best to bone their joints before proceeding further; but after 
they are once detached from it, the whole of the body may be easily separated 
from the flesh, and taken out entire; only the neck, bones, and the merry-thought 
will then remain to be removed. The fowl thus prepared may either (1) be re- 
stored to its original form by filling the legs and wings with stuffing; the body of 
the bird, also, should be filled with stuffing, and then the skin on the back should 
be sewn together, and'the fowl trussed as usual. Or (2) the legs and wings may 
be drawn into the body, and the remaining space be filled with the dressing. 

Plain Dressing. — Take slices of stale bread (do not remove the crusts) dip it 
in cold water, and chop in the tray; season with salt and pepper, and for % loaf 
of bread soften a teacup of butter and stir into the bread; add a beaten raw egg 
and stir that in well. Fill the cavity in the fish or meat, but do not crowd it in; 
sew up, or wind the meat with a string, and when done, this will be light and 
crumbly — not pasty, as when made with hot water, nor hard, as when stuffed into 
the fish or fowl. This is excellent for fish, poultry, game, etc. 

Poultry Stuffing, — Take a loaf of light bread, chop fine; add a little melted 



122 MEATS. 

butter, or cream, and 2 eggs. Some savory summer celery leaves improve it 
often, with warm water and milk. 

Various Stuffings.— For fowls, a variety may be bad by adding to the plain 
dressing, dates, stoned raisins, chopped celery, etc. A little ingenuity will devise 
many varieties. 

Oyster Stuffing.— Take a small loaf of baker's bread, remove the crust, and crumb 
the bread very fine; pour on hot water enough to moisten it, and cover it tight. 
Chop 1 large onion and a qt. of oysters, take % cup of melted butter, 1 teaspoon 
of powdered sage, and salt to taste. Mix all together, and if the oyster liquor 
does not make it moist enough, add a little more hot water. 

Chestnut Stuffing. — Blanch, boil, and mash, 12 large chestnuts. Cook the liver 
of the fowl, mince it fine, and add the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon each of salt and 
minced onion, 1 tablespoon chopped ham, 2 tablespoons grated bread, a little 
lemon juice and white pepper; mix all with the mashed chestnuts, and use for 
stuffing. 

Boiled Chicken.— Pluck, singe, wash, and bone them, fill with any dressing 
liked; do not crowd in the dressing; sew up, and boil gently for an hour or more. 
To prevent the skin from breaking, roll each one up in a separate cloth. For 
salads, and cold sliced chicken, they may be boiled in a kettle with the water 
slightly salted, and without the dressing. Boil until the meat will start from the 
bones, and let them get entirely cold before cutting for salads; then they can be 
skinned and all the meat served in a much nicer manner than when the bones are 
taken out before cooling. 

Chicken Fricassee. — Take 2 young chickens, cut them up, put them in a stew- 
pan, merely cover with cold water, cover the pan, and stew until tender; then 
season with salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of butter. A little celery can be 
added if liked. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, wet with a little milk or water, 
and the well beaten yolks of 2 eggs, which are mixed with a little of the cooled 
gravy, before being added; bring all to a boil, and then put the chicken on a warm 
plate, and pour on part of the gravy, sending the balance to the table in a boat. 
If old fowls are used, they will need longer stewing than chicken — 3 or 4 hours 
being none too much. 

Southern Fricassee. — Cut up chicken as for a fricassee. Dry each piece and 
dip in beaten egg and roll in cracker dust; season with pepper and salt, and fry 
each piece very brown in half butter and half lard. When well browned, add 1 
cup of hot water, cover and simmer % hour. Then take out chicken and put on 
plate in warming oven. Have ready a bowl of rice — cooked; put it into frying- 
pan which the chicken liquid has simmered in, add 2 tomatoes, chopped fine, a 
Chili pepper, also chopped fine. Toss all together lightly with a fork. Pile high 
in the center of platter and lay around it the pieces of fried chicken; garnish 
with stoned olives. 

Chicken Cheese. — Take 2 chickens, boiled tender, chopped not too fine, and 
seasoned with salt and pepper. Boil hard 3 or 4 eggs, and slice, with which line 
molds and pour in the chickens, adding the liquor in which they were boiled. 
When perfectly cold, slice for luncheon, or Sunday tea, or for sandwiches. 

Escaloped Chicken. — Cut cold boiled potatoes into irregular pieces; remove 
all the meat from a cooked chicken and cut it into small pieces; make a sauce of 
1 pint of milk and 1 beaten egg, seasoned with a little salt and pepper; put a 
layer of the meat in a pudding-dish, then a layer of potatoes, and sauce to 
cover them; another layer of meat and potatoes, and cover the whole with 
cracker crumbs, moistened with melted butter; bake 3^ an hour. 

Chicken Loaf. — Boil 2 chickens in as little water as possible to cook them 



MEATS. 123 

without burning, until the meat will drop from the bones. Remove the meat 
from the bones and cut it fine without chopping. Put it back in the kettle, with 
plenty of butter, pepper and salt; heat it thoroughly. Slice a hard-boiled egg in 
the bottom of a dish, pour the chicken over it hot, place a weight upon it and set 
in a cool place. When cool, it will come out in a form. 

Chicken and Oysters. — Take a nice, tender chicken, and split it down the 
back, and after cleaning it well, pound all the bones flat; wash and wipe it dry; 
season with pepper and salt, and fry in sweet lard until tender and brown on both 
sides; put it on a platter and keep it warm. Make a gravy in the pan (after 
pouring out the fat) with 3^ pint of water, a piece of butter, and flour for thicken- 
ing, or of J^ pint of cream without the butter, if preferred. Have ready, about 25 
large oysters washed clean in salt and water, then dried in a towel, and add them 
to the gravy when it comes to boiling; plump them in the hot gravy, and 
pour on the dish of chicken. Serve hot. 

Chicken Patties. — Take 1 pint of cream, 1 tablespoon of corn-starch, 1 pint of 
cooked chicken, chopped coarsely. Let half the cream come to a boil in a stew- 
pan. Mix the remainder of the cream with the corn -starch, and add as soon as 
it boils; when this thickens, take off the fire, add the chopped chicken, and 
season to taste with salt, white pepper, and any other seasoning liked. Line 
patty-pans, small saucers, or sauce-plates, with rich pie-crust, and bake. When 
all is cold, place a heaping spoonful of the chicken on each crust and serve. 

Chicken Pie. — Cut the chicken in small pieces as for frying, and stew in just 
water sufficient to cover it, with a little salt, until the meat begins to separate 
from the bones; take it out, pick out the bones, and put the meat in a tin pan or 
large pudding-dish; season the gravy with a little more salt, if needed, and a little 
white pepper, then thicken with a little corn-starch; add a lump of butter if the 
chicken is lean, and pour the gravy over the chicken. Make a rich baking- 
powder biscuit-dough, spread it with the hands until it is large enough to cover 
the pie, place it on the meat, and cut a large cross in the middle of the crust; 
bake until the crust is a rich, golden brown, but do not have the oven hot 
enough to scorch it. 

Dangerous Gases in Meat Pies. — If the pie is cut and eaten hot, there 
will be no danger of its being poisonous — if set away to cool, be sure that there 
is an opening in the center of the crust down to the meat, for the escape of the 
steam and gases while cooling. The rising of the crust while baking, sometimes 
closes the opening in it, and the slow cooling, and confined gases, cause it to be 
unwholesome. This should be especially guarded against with all meat pies. 
Meat pies are those made entirely of meat and crust, while mince pies are made 
of minced meat, apples, fruit and spices. 

Meat Pie. — Take cold turkey, chicken, or any cold meat chopped fine; season 
with salt, pepper and gravy; lay pie-crust around the edge of a platter, and cover 
the same; bake a nice brown in the oven. 

Pressed Chicken. —.Boil 2 or 3 chickens and use what is wanted for dinner — 
then take what is left and boil until it will drop from the bones easily. Remove 
bones, and let the liquor boil down if there is too much; then add the meat, and 
season with pepper and a little cinnamon. Put in a square tin to press. It is 
easily made, and is very nice for Sunday lunch. 

' Chicken and Rice. — Take fricasseed chicken and remove the bones from the 
largest pieces, leaving the others in. Cover the bottom of a small pudding-dish 
with cold boiled rice, then put in a layer of the chicken, sprinkled with salt and 
pepper; then more rice, and so on until the dish is full. Have the last layer rice. 



124 MEATS. 

Put in the gravy that is left, and cover the whole with the yolk of an egg well 
beaten. Set in the oven and bake until it is light brown. 

Chicken Shortcake. — Cut the meat from the largest pieces of cold stewed 
chicken and remove the bones (the wishbone and other small pieces may be left 
whole); heat, adding more gravy, if necessary, and when hot pour on a shortcake, 
cut in pieces, made as follows: Shortcake. — Mix 2 teaspoons of baking powder 
with 2 cups of flour. Rub into it a' small % CU P °f butter, and then add 1 cup of 
sweet milk. Bake in a quick oven in a thin sheet. 

Chicken Supreme. — First skin, then carefully cut the breast meat from 2 full 
grown chickens; divide each side of the breast meat into 2 long fillets— this will 
give 8 pieces, and is sufficient for a party of that number; flatten them by rolling 
with the rolling-pin until they are about an inch thick, then broil over a clear 
coal fire until they are thoroughly done and well browned; sprinkle with salt and 
white pepper, place on a hot platter, and spread with butter. Garnish with 
parsley, and serve with currant jelly, or any meat sauce preferred. These fillets 
can be stewed tender in a little water, and served with Bechamel sauce. The 
remainder of the fowls can be used for a stew, chicken pie, or chicken fricassee. 
Chicken Tarts. — Mince cold chicken very fine, and season with pepper and salt 
to taste. Boil 1 cup of milk with % an onion and a blade of mace in it; when it 
is scalding hot, take out the onion and mace, and stir in a thickening made of 1 
teaspoon of flour wet with cold milk. When it has boiled a few minutes, mix in 
2 cups of chopped chicken. Have ready some rather large tarts made of puff 
paste, and put a spoonful of the mince in each. 

Chicken and Tomatoes. — Prepare chicken as for a fricassee, with a few slices 
of salt pork and a small onion, sliced; cover them with water and let them sim- 
mer slowly; when nearly cooked, add 4 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled and 
sliced, and a little salt and pepper, and cook ^ hour longer. Arrange the chicken 
on a platter with some toasted crackers, and pour the broth over the whole and 
serve. 

Fried Fowl. — Cold roast or boiled fowl can be dipped in batter and fried. 
Make the batter of 4 heaping tablespoons of flour, 1 egg, % cup of water, and 2 
tablespoons of salad oil. Add the water to the flour gradually, stirring it smooth; 
then beat in the yolk of the egg, with % teaspoon of salt, and just before you want 
your batter, stir in the beaten white; some flour may require a little more water. 
Dip each piece of chicken in the batter, and fry a light brown. 

Giblets. — These are the liver, heart and gizzard of fowls, with the feet, and 
long, bony part of the legs, and the tips of the wings. Carefully cut away the 
gall sack from the liver, peel the hard lining from the inside of the gizzard, and 
remove the veins, arteries and enveloping membranes from the heart; throw them 
in cold water and wash well. Boil them % hour in slightly salted water sufficient 
to cover them. Take them up, cut in small pieces, or chop, thicken and season 
the gravy and return the giblets to reheat; then serve as giblets stewed. Or they 
maybe baked in 2 crusts as "giblet pie." Giblets are also chopped, added to the 
gravies, and served with the fowls they were taken from. Scald and scrape the 
legs and feet for the soup-kettle — they are rich in gelatine. 

To Make Old Fowls Tender. — Take an old fowl and stew it from 2 to 4 hours 
according to our directions for stewing; then roast it in the oven, basting fre- 
quently. It will make an old fowl 5 or 6 years old, tender and equal to a chicken. 
Try it. 



MEATS. 125 

Fowls RechauffiS {Reheated).— Cut up a cold fowl, taking off the legs and 
wings, and dividing the fowl in pieces; season bread crumbs with pepper and 
salt, and minced parsley; mix all together and lay over the pieces of fowl in a 
dripping-pan, and brown them in the oven. While that is taking place, make a 
gravy of butter and flour in % pint of water or broth; add a tablespoon of catsup 
and let it come to the boiling point; place the warmed fowl in a dish to serve, 
pour over it the hot gravy, and send to the table immediately. Good for breakfast. 

Minced Fowl. — Cut the meat from the bones, and put them on to boil with the 
bits of skin which are left, and an onion, in enough water to cover them. When 
they have boiled until you have a cup of strong stock, strain and pour in a cup of 
hot milk, with pepper and salt; then stir in 2 cups of minced fowl, and serve with 
chopped parsley sprinkled over it. 

Steamed Fowl. —Place a fowl in a close steamer and cook 1 hour. Then re- 
move from the steamer, rub well with salt, and stuff as for baking; steam again 
until perfectly tender, then place it in a baking-pan, rub with flour and butter 
and place in the oven until brown, basting often with butter. Use some of the 
liquor in the steamer for gravy by adding it to the butter in the dripping-pan; 
thicken the gravy with flour, and add the chopped giblets and a little celery salt. 

Guinea Fowls. — They are better when a year old and under, for the old fowls 
are apt to be tough and dry. Guinea fowls are cooked in various ways in the 
same manner as the common domestic fowls. 

Roast Duck. — Choose ducks that are plump, and have yellowish feet; dress 
like other poultry, taking care to get off all the down. Fill the body with sea- 
soned dressing, sew up, and bake or roast, basting often. They are often par- 
boiled before being baked, as that lessens the strong taste. They can also be 
stuffed with apples which absorb the strong taste and should not be eaten on 
that account. Celery should be served with roast duck, and any of the piquant 
meat sauces liked best. 

Wild ducks are cooked in the same way as the domestic variety, but if the 
bones are solid and show indications of age, they are better stewed, or boiled and 
made into side dishes. 

Geese. — Geese are called green until they are 4 or 5 months old. They are 
dressed, singed, trussed, and roasted in the same way as chicken, carefully 
basting them while baking or roasting. Cook until they are thoroughly browned 
on both sides, and the English sauce for them is made of gooseberries, as their 
name indicates. The remains of baked green goose is made into entries, side 
dishes, hashes, etc., in the same way that other cold poultry is re-warmed. 

Roast Goose. — It is better to keep the goose a few days after coming from 
the market, but do not let it come to the slightest taint. Pluck, singe, draw, 
and wash thoroughly; then fill the cavity with a dressing made with sage and 
onions, if liked, or a plain bread and butter filling may be used. Sew up, and 
bake or roast in a moderate oven until a golden brown on both sides. Baste 
often; use butter and flour when nearly done. The goose is sometimes parboiled 
before baking. The oil which runs out will be too strong for gravy. Serve apple 
sauce with the goose. 

Goose Stuffing {Soyer's). — Take 4 apples, peeled and cored, 4 onions, a little 
sage and thyme; stew until soft, then pulp through a sieve; add a sufficient 
amount of mashed potato to fill the bird. The stuffing should be well seasoned 
with salt and pepper. 



126 MEATS. 

Boiled Turkey.— Draw and clean the turkey, then bone and nearly fill the 
inside with veal force-meat; thrust a trimmed boiled tongue down the middle of 
the force-meat, and sew up the turkey securely; truss and put it as near as 
possible in the original shape. Sew it up in a buttered cloth, and boil very 
gently to prevent it from bursting. To carve, cut across the breast, so as to give 
each person a slice composed of equal parts of tongue, turkey and force-meat. 
Turkeys dressed in this fashion, covered with Bechamel sauce, and garnished 
with aspic jelly, form an elegant dish for ball suppers. 

Boned Turkey, Boiled. — Chop finely about a pound of veal, and % pound of 
salt pork; roll 3 crackers, add 2 eggs well beaten, with a little chopped parsley; 
salt and pepper to taste; mix, and fill the turkey, not crowding it. Sew it up and 
roll in a cloth; boil from 3 to 4 hours, then press by putting it on a platter, turn 
another platter over it, and place a weight on the upper platter, until cold. 
Take a quart of the broth in which the turkey was boiled, add an ounce of gela- 
tine which has been soaked in a little cold water, and the juice of a lemon; place 
it in a dish about an inch deep; when solid, cut % of it in inch squares to lay 
over the top of the turkey; beat the other half with a fork and place around the 
turkey. Sausage meat of fresh pork, highly seasoned, may be used for filling, 
instead of the veal and salt pork. 

Boast Turkey.— After drawing the turkey, stuff it with bread, oysters, or any 
other stuffing desired; then sew it up, truss, and rub with butter, and sprinkle on 
pepper, salt and flour. Put it in to roast, having the oven hot at first; then 
reduce the heat and put 2 cups of water in the dripping-pan. Baste frequently, 
and each time dredge on salt and flour. It should be cooked thoroughly, roasting 
about 20 minutes to the pound, and 20 minutes extra. Cranberry sauce and 
currant jelly are the best things to serve with roast turkey. 

Giblet gravy can be made for turkey by boiling the giblets till very 
tender (begin to boil them early); then chop fine, and add salt, pepper, and 
sufficient flour to thicken. When the turkey is removed from the pan, pour on 
the giblets sufficient gravy from the pan, and boil it. Make an ordinary gravy 
with the balance left in the pan, as some do not like giblet gravy. 

Turkey Cheese. — This is an excellent way to cook an old turkey too tough for 
roasting. Have it dressed in the usual way, and let it hang in the larder for a 
few days if the weather is cold. Singe, wash, and cut it in small pieces as for a 
fricassee of chicken; put it in the dinner-pot with just cold water enough to cover 
it, put on the fire, and let it come to boiling; then add a tablespoon of salt and 
set the kettle on the back of the range, where it will gently simmer until the 
meat will separate from the bones. At this stage, remove the kettle from the fire, 
take out the turkey into a pan or deep earthen dish, remove all the bones, cut 
the larger pieces of meat into smaller portions, season with more salt, if needed, 
add pepper and herbs, if liked; then pour the liquor from the kettle over it, and 
let it get cold before using it. 

Turkey Bagout.— Cut all the meat left from roast turkey, in as large pieces 
as it will allow. Break up the bones, put them in a stew-pan, with cold water to 
cover them, boil an hour, strain out the bones; season the liquid with pepper, salt, 
a little chopped celery or celery salt; stir in a thickening made of a spoonful of 
flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk, % a cup of milk, and butter the size of 
an egg. Stir over the fire constantly until thick as cream, put in the cold turkey, 
simmer 5 minutes and serve. 



MEATS. 127 

A Good Breakfast Dish. — A fine breakfast dish can be made by frying the 
livers of chickens or turkeys with a few thin slices of bacon. Cut the liver and 
bacon very thin; season with pepper and salt. 



GAME. 

Game is young if the bones of the legs and wings break easily, and if the skin 
is tender. 

All water birds should be eaten as fresh as possible, as their flesh is oily, and 
soon becomes rank. If there is a large quantity of game on hand at one time, it 
will be well to cook the young game first, and the old, 1 or 2 days later, as old birds 
will keep longer than young ones. Old birds also need longer cooking. Young 
game cooks rather more quickly than poultry, and the flavor is best retained by 
cooking it plainly. The rule is, that while dark-meatedgame may be rare, white- 
meated game should be well done. 

Game, like all meat, should not be washed, unless it is really needed, and 
should never be left in the water, because, as we have elsewhere explained, the 
water will draw out the juices. Game drawn with care only needs wiping. It is 
best to dry-pick birds, using care, and taking off all the feathers which can be 
readily removed; then plunge into boiling water, skin, draw, and finally wipe 
carefully. Wild ducks, and geese, however, are so oily that they should be 
washed with warm water and soap, as anything less effectual will not cleanse 
them properly. The objectionable flavor of wild ducks comes from the oil in the 
skin; if it is very strong, they can be skinned; then spread with butter, dredge 
thickly with flour, and put in a very quick oven to roast. 

The directions for "drawing" and "trussing" given for poultry, will apply 
equally well for wild fowls. 

It is sometimes desired to overcome the wild flavor in the larger birds, as it is 
disliked by some people. There are various ways to do this: (1) Take a lemon, 
take off the peel, and lay it inside; renew it every 10 or 12 hours, and continue 
for 1 or 2 days. From most game this will absorb the unpleasant flavors. (Prob- 
ably the best plan.) (2) Ducks, geese, prairie chickens, pheasants, etc., may lie for 
10 or 12 hours in salt and water. (3) They may be put in soda and water for 2 or 3 
hours. (4) Parboil in water containing 1 or 2 onions. 

Most game is kept as long as it can be without becoming tainted, as it is 
thought the flavor is thereby developed. If it does become slightly tainted, it 
should at once be picked clean and put into milk for a full day (24 hours) keep- 
ing it entirely covered; this will sweeten it, and it should be cooked at once. 

Game is less fat than butcher's meat, and is generally considered very nour- 
ishing; it is easy of digestion and is valued in the sickroom. This does not apply 
to wild fowl, however, which have close, firm, and rather oily flesh, and are, there- 
fore, unsuited to weak stomachs. 

The garnishes for the larger game, like wild ducks, etc., are parsley, slices of 
orange or lemon, cranberry or apple sauce; while for small game, the most com- 
mon are parsley, toast, currant jelly, and slices of lemon. Currant, grape, or any 
acid jelly, is suitable to serve with game. 

Cranes, Plovers, Snipes, Herons, Prairie Chickens, Quails, Pigeons, Wood- 
cocks, and all small game, are cooked in much the same way as spring or broiler 
chicken — that is, if the game is young, which will be known by the tenderness of 
the bones, and the freshness of the feet. They can be broiled, fricasseed, stewed, 
etc., in the same manner as poultry. Old game should be parboiled before roast- 
ing, as that is the better way of cooking old game or poultry. 

Black-bird Pie. — Take 1 doz. black-birds, reed-birds or other small game; skin 
and draw them, cutting off the heads and feet. Put a bit of bread, buttered, 
peppered, and salted, into the body of each bird; place them in a pudding-dish 
with thin slices of cold, boiled, fat salt pork; add a little cold water, cover them 
with a rich pie crust *% inch thick, and bake thoroughly in a moderate oven. 
Wild Back. — Pick the ducks carefully, and thoroughly singe off the down, 



128 MEATS. 

then rub them with a coarse cloth. Split them open down the back, wash clean, 
and dry them with a cloth; pound flat with the potato-masher, or rolling-pin, and 
broil; turn often on the fire, which must be clear and bright. Have a little wisp, 
made of a bit of linen, tied on a clean stick, and rub them with melted butter 
every time you turn them. Serve hot. Canvas-bach ducks should be served on 
hot plates, and eaten as soon as possible after being taken from the fire. Serve 
with celery mayonnaise. 

Grouse. — Cook same as "Prairie Chicken." Or the breast and legs can be 
larded; then rub with butter, sprinkle on pepper and salt, dredge with flour, and 
roast in the oven. A bread sauce is best served with it. 

Partridges. — Boned.— Bone the birds, and lard with thin slices of salt pork; 
stuff with oysters, roll up and tie; place in a dripping-pan with a little hot water 
and butter, bake in a moderately hot oven until well browned, basting often. 
Serve with mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes, and garnish with slices of 
lemon and parsley. 

Roast Partridges. — Pick, draw, and wipe clean; then fill with turkey dressing; 
truss them in shape and put in the dripping-pan with a little water; lay on the 
birds, thin slices of fat salt pork. Roast about an hour, basting often; when 
done, thicken the water in the pan, add more seasoning if needed, place the 
partridges on a hot platter, and pour the gravy around, them, or send it to the 
table in the gravy boat, with a garnish of parsley around the birds on the 
platter. 

Pigeons. — Roast. — These to be good should be cooked soon after being killed, 
and should be dressed and drawn immediately. Wash them thoroughly and wipe 
them dry; spread a lump of butter on a bit of bread and place it in the. cavity of 
each bird; truss them into shape, cover the bottom of the baking-pan with very 
thin slices of salt pork, place the pigeons in the pan with the backs down, and 
put a little water in the pan; roast in a hot oven until they are done, and of a nice 
brown color; they should be basted often. Garnish the pigeons with the bits of 
pork, slices of lemon and parsley. Make a gravy in the pan, and send it to the 
table in a gravy boat, with the pigeons. The juice of a lemon dripped over the 
birds after they are on the platter adds to their delicacy. 

Pigeon Pie. — Line a pie dish with thin slices of fat bacon, place on this the 
pigeons cut in quarters, 3 pigeons to a pie. Fill the interstices with veal taken 
from the loin or leg (of course uncooked); season with pepper and salt, and pro- 
ceed as to the crust in the same way as for other meat pies. 

Squabs (young pigeons).— Dress in the same manner as for "broiler" chicken; 
split down the back, pound flat with the rolling-pin, butter the broiling-iron, and 
cook over clear coals until a delicate brown, turning often. Sprinkle with a little 
salt and pepper when done, and spread with butter, and keep hot on the top shelf 
of the oven until ready to set on the table. 

Plover. — Fricassee. — Dress, wash, clean, and put to stew in just water to 
cover them; boil slowly for an hour, then add a little salt, and boil the water out 
rapidly, to brown the birds in the kettle; watch that they do not burn. Take out, 
put bits of butter on the birds and keep hot. Make a brown gravy in the kettle, 
pour over the birds, and send to the table. 

Fried Plover. — Skin the birds, reserving only the breast and legs — the 
remainder can go into the soup-kettle — wash and wipe them dry; roll in flour or 
bread crumbs, put in a hot, well buttered frying-pan, and fry until nicely browned 



MEATS. 129 

on both sides; place on a hot platter, spread with butter, and sprinkle with a 
little salt and pepper, and keep the platter hot while making a gravy. Add 
more butter for the gravy, to that in the pan, and % pint of hot water. Mix a 
little cold water with a tablespoon of corn-starch, stir rapidly until it thickens, 
season with salt and pepper, and pour it over the birds. -Serve with wild grape 
jelly, or some nice meat sauce. 

Prairie Chicken. — Cut out the breasts, cut each one in two, rub with butter, 
broil, season with salt and pepper, and serve on buttered toast; garnish with 
currant jelly. If for breakfast, serve on fried mush. The balance, except the 
breast, is apt to be tough, and is best if first parboiled; then rub with butter and 
broil as above. They are often split open at the back, rubbed with butter and 
broiled, but we think the above the best way. 

Quail. — Broiled. — Pick, draw, and split down the back, then wash and wipe 
dry; pound flat with the rolling-pin, or a flat-iron covered with a cloth; broil 
slowly, and baste often with butter. Serve on toasted slices of bread, richly 
buttered. 

Quail Pie. — Take 8 or 10 quails, cut each in two, and lay in salt water for 2 hours; 
then put them in a sauce-pan with 1 large onion, 2 chili peppers, some parsley, 
cut fine, salt and black pepper; cover with water, and stew until tender; then 
add % lb. butter, 2 tablespoons flour, and simmer a few minutes; season with a 
little lemon juice and mushroom catsup. Place in a pan, cover with puff paste, 
and bake. 

Small Birds.— A method of treating small birds which is liked by many, is to 
halve sweet potatoes lengthwise, scoop out a depression large enough to receive 
half a bird, or if very small, a whole one. Put in the dressed bird, season with 
pepper, salt and butter, put on the other half of the potato, tie it, and bake till 
soft. Serve in the potatoes; garnish with a sprig of green leaf. Reed-birds, etc., 
are nice this way. Small birds can also be fried in hot fat, or roasted, broiled or 
stewed. 

Snipe. — Treat the same as Woodcocks. 

Woodcock. — Pick the birds, draw the trail, and wipe clean. Tie the legs, re- 
move the skin from the head, turn the head under the wing and tie, also tying a 
thin slice of bacon on the breast. Fry in hot lard 2 or 3 minutes. Season, and 
serve on toast, with currant jelly. If preferred, it can be prepared the same way 
and roasted in the oven. 

Salmis of Woodcock. — This is made of cold roast woodcock. Cut the birds 
into small neat pieces to serve, and keep the remainder — all the bones and trim- 
mings — for the soup-kettle. Simmer until the meat comes off the bones, with 
herbs, a little salt and pepper. Add also any gravy left from the day before. 
Strain through a colander, and return to the kettle. Thicken with a little corn- 
starch and put in the pieces of woodcock to get hot in the soup. There should 
be about enough of the' soup for a plenty of good gravy. Croutons, or strips of 
toasted bread can be laid around the edge of the platter, with sprigs of parsley or 
chives. 

Babbits. — Jack-rabbit is the term usually applied to the wild rabbit of the 
United States. They are plentiful in some parts of the country, and in the fall, 
when the boys bring them in from gunning excursions, they are fat and most 
delicious, cooked in various ways, either roasted, fried or boiled, and they make a 
fine soup or pot-pie. If the bones are strong and the skin tough, they are old, 
9 



130 MEATS. 

and are better boiled whole and served with white or cream sauce. If young, the 
Bkin is tender and the ears tear easily, in which case they are nice cut in pieces, 
pounded flat and broiled over a clear fire in the same way as chickens are broiled. 
They can be roasted whole, if young, filled with a bread and butter dressing, with 
a large slice of fat salt pork spread over the rabbit, and it should be frequently 
basted. If large, it should be in the hot oven from 1% to 2 hours, and well browned, 
and served with a brown gravy made in the dripping-pan after the meat is put on 
the platter. 

Squirrels. — The old ones may be known by their greater size, and by the 
greater strength of the bones. After dressing and cleaning, they are cut in quar- 
ters; those that are old are better stewed. Put them over the fire in a kettle, 
with water enough to cover them; stew gently until the meat starts from the 
bones, then season with salt, pepper, and herbs, if liked; add a little corn-starch 
for thickening, with a lump of butter. The young squirrels can be cut in quar- 
ters, and either broiled or fried, as you would chickens. 

Squirrel Pie. — Clean, and soak % hour in salt water; take out and stew with 
a little salt pork until half done. Line the sides of the dish with pastry, lay in 
the squirrel, put in the gravy, put on an upper crust, cut a cross in it to let out 
the steam and gases, and bake. 

Buffalo and Bear. — Bear and buffalo meat is either baked, boiled, fried or 
broiled, in the same ways as beef. 

Opossums and Raccoons. — Opossums, raccoons and woodchucks, are stewed or 
baked, and served after the manner of pigs' meat, and are considered a delicacy 
by hunters. Old animals can be parboiled before cooking — with young ones it is 
not necessary. 

Venison. — Venison is easily digested. As the hairs often cling to the meat, it 
should be cleaned carefully before cooking. The best cuts for steaks or roasting 
come from the loin or saddle. The rules given for cooking beef or mutton apply 
equally to venison. Stew the tougher parts. Currant jelly is considered the best 
thing to serve with venison, or garnish with slices of lemon. 

Venison Steaks. — Cut venison steaks in suitable pieces for serving; heat % of 
a lb. of butter in your frying-pan; season the steak with salt and pepper, then dip 
them in wheat flour or rolled cracker crumbs, and fry them a nice brown on both 
sides alike. When done, set them in the oven with a tin over, to keep them 
warm, while you prepare gravy, as follows: Dredge a large tablespoon of flour 
into the butter in the pan, and stir until it is brown, without burning; put in a 
teacup of boiling water, with a teaspoon of currant jelly dissolved into it. Stir 
briskly for a few minutes, then strain the gravy over the meat and serve at once. 



HASH AND CROQUETTES. 

The dinner table should be liberally supplied with both meat and vegetables, 
as it is the principal meal of the day. This should be done so that each member 
of the family can be generously helped, remembering that a family stinted in 
food, no matter how finely dressed, or housed, can never be in a healthful condi- 
tion; it also provides for unexpected guests. The remainder of the dinner, if at 
noon, can be sliced cold, and served with the supper if needed, or minced the next 
morning for hash. Hash is also a fine accompaniment on the supper table in 
cold weather, when hungry children come from school. The meat for dinner 
need not be of the most expensive joints, for the cheaper cuts are quite as nutri- 
tious, and, if properly cooked, can be made very palatable. 

HASH AND MINCED MEATS. 

Under this head are included recipes for mincing and re-warming in an 
appetizing manner, cold meat of all kinds, fish, etc., etc. This minced meat is 
usually combined with vegetables, or bread, either in crumbs, or toasted slices, 
and forms a series of dishes, both economical and agreeable to the palate. The 
French term Salmis {Salmy by foreign cooks) is used more particularly to desig- 
nate minced game re-warmed in various ways, but in plain English it is simply 
hash. In making hash, and in re-warming any kind of cold meat, do not con- 
found the term re- warming with re-cooking; to re-cook meat is to harden it, and 
the secret of good hash is to make it just piping hot, and no more. 

Hash. — One of the most common forms in which cold potatoes and meat left 
from yesterday's meal appears, is — hash. Not 1 person in 10 knows how to put it 
together appetizingly. Chop fine such bits of cold meat as you may have, add a 
double quantity of potato, chopped fine also, mix well, season with pepper and 
salt to taste; 8 minutes before you wish to serve the dish, melt a tablespoon of 
butter in a spider, and, when hissing hot, put in the hash and press it down well 
and evenly all around. At the end of the time specified, have a heated plate 
ready, turn it over the spider, tip the latter upside down with the plate 
beneath, and send your steaming "hash cake" to the table. This "hash" can be 
varied indefinitely. Some prefer a larger portion of meat, others not so much. 
Occasionally a flavoring of chopped onion may be added, or a spoonful of any 
good catsup or sauce to give piquancy. And sometimes for a change, mix as 
directed, flour your hands well and form into balls, and fry light brown in plenty 
of hot lard. 

Do not stir hash while it is heating, for that inclines it to stick to the pan, and 
it also makes the hash salvey. The very best hash is made with hot baked 
potatoes, % potato to % °i finely chopped meat. 

Baked Hash. — Chop finely the remnants of cold meat left from dinner, chop 
cold potatoes and add — there should be twice as much potato as meat. If there 
are not enough of cold potatoes for this proportion, dip 2 slices of bread in cold 
milk or water, and chop; season with salt and pepper, and herbs, if liked, with a 
bit of sliced onion. Melt a piece of butter the size of an egg, in the baking-pan, 
put the hash well mixed in the pan and cover tightly with a plate; bake 3^ hour, 
and turn out in a cake on a hot dish. If it is covered with a white pie-plate, that 
is the best dish to serve it on, as it is already hot. Economical and good. Serve 
with pickles. 

Corned-beef Hash. — If the family is large, in addition to the daily dinner, it is 

(131) ■ 



132 HASH AND CROQUETTES. 

well to boil a piece of corned-beef every 2 or 3 days and have this hash every day 
or every other day, either for supper or breakfast, as it is economical and liked by 
most people. Notwithstanding the threadbare jokes about "hash-mills," "hash- 
factories," "mysteries," etc., people still like a good dish of hash when they 
have "confidence in the cook." Cook the beef slowly until done; let it get cold in 
the liquor it was boiled in, then take it out, wipe it dry, and it is ready to chop. 
Use the fat and lean together, and the cold fat from the top of the kettle to heat 
with the hash. Have the potatoes quite cold, or they will stick to the chopping 
knife. A lady with a large family of fashionable boarders, told the writer that 
this dish was often called for at her table. 

French Hash. — Take cold bits of meat left from a roast of beef, chicken or 
cold turkey, finely minced, add gravy enough to make moist; when quite hot, 
place the mixture over toast. This is a very nice breakfast dish. 

Ham Hash. — Take equal parts of potato, boiled ham and bread, chopped fine, 
and cooked in hot fat left from frying ham; cook about 10 minutes, and season 
with pepper when it is ready to be dished. 

Scotch Hash. — Chop raw beef very fine; add butter about the size of an egg, 
pepper, salt, and chopped parsley; cover with water, stew 15 minutes, keeping it 
covered. Pour it over slices of toasted bread. 

Turkey Hash. — Mince the remnants of turkey left from a previous dinner. 
Boil the bones in a quart of water until the quart is reduced to a pint; then strain, 
add turkey gravy if you have it, a bit of butter if the turkey is not fat, with a 
seasoning of salt and pepper; if there is dressing left, boil it in with the bones. 
Dredge a little flour over the minced turkey, put it in the hot gravy and let it 
just come to boiling heat. Serve in a hot dish on slices of toasted bread. 

Veal Hash. — Chop % P m t of fricasseed veal (do not make it as fine as for cro- 
quettes); put veal fat, beef dripping or butter, in the stew-pan with the meat; if 
you have no broth or gravy, add hot water enough to wet the meat. Season 
with pepper and salt, dredge on a little flour, stir all together, put in a hot dish, 
with slices of toasted bread or crackers in the bottom, and send to the table with 
baked potatoes. 

Vegetable Hash. — Take equal parts of boiled vegetables, corned-beef, and salt 
pork, chopped together; this makes a fine hash. When you have a boiled dinner, 
always have enough left to make hash for breakfast the next morning. The 
vegetables used, are potatoes, turnips, cabbage, beets, and parsnips or carrots; 
put the fat from the kettle in which the dinner was boiled, in a large frying- 
pan, and let it melt; then put in the hash, smooth it down, put a pie-plate over 
it to keep in the steam, set it on the back of the stove for 15 or 20 minutes until 
thoroughly heated, and dish it in the hot plate which covered it. Vegetable 
hash is often made without meat, and is much liked by most people. 

Hash Pie. — Take any kind of cold meat and chop it finely; season with salt 
and pepper, put a layer of bread crumbs, then a layer of meat, then crumbs, until 
the dish is full. Make a gravy, pour it over, and bake. 

Scrapple. — This can be made of odds and ends of fresh meat such as would be 
used for soups — pigs' heads and feet, beef shanks and beef trimmings. Boil the 
meat with sufficient water to cover it well, until the meat separates from the 
bones; then take it up, remove the bones, cut, or chop the meat finely, and return 
it to the broth; add salt, pepper, and herbs, if liked. Let it boil up again and 
thicken it with cornmeai to make a stiff mush, and cook it thoroughly. Put it 



I 



HASH AND CROQUETTES. 133 

in bread-pans to solidify, and, when cold, cut off in slices and fry in salt pork fat, 
dripping, or sausage fat. This is an inexpensive dish, and excellent in cold 
weather, for supper or breakfast. Finely minced remnants of any kind of cold 
meats, with the gravy, can be utilized in the above manner, instead of the fresh 
meat. 

PILAFF. 

1 onion. 1 pint tomatoes. 1 teacup rice. 

2 cups minced cold meat. Butter the size of an egg. 

Put the butter in a frying-pan, and cut the onion in, then fry to a delicate 
brown; add the rice, and brown that in the butter, taking care not to let it scorch. 
Next add the tomatoes and 1 pint of hot water; cover and cook until the rice is 
done, adding more water if needed, but it should not be watery when done. Season 
with salt, pepper and cayenne, and curry powder if liked; then put in the chopped 
meat, stir well, and send to the table hot. 



CROQUETTES. 

These are somewhat allied to hash, as they are only elaborate dishes made of 
finely cut meats, or with fish, oysters, vegetables, rice, etc., or of several of these 
ingredients combined. They are formed into rolls or ovals, and usually fried in 
smoking hot fat, after they are egged and bread-crumbed. Drain on paper, or a 
wire sieve, paper being best. The mixture may be stiffened by working in a little 
fine cracker dust, if too soft to roll well, but it is apt to be made too stiff if any 
uncooked material like flour is added. 

Baked Croquettes.— Take 2 cups finely chopped veal, % cup dry breadcrumbs, 
1 egg, well beaten, 1 teaspoon salt, % teaspoon pepper, a pinch of mace; form into 
croquettes, roll in egg and cracker crumbs, and bake in a quick oven. 

Brain Croquettes. — Put 2 oz. of butter or beef drippings into a sauce-pan and 
set on the stove; when the butter has melted, add 1 small onion chopped fine; let 
it brown, then add calf's brains cut in small pieces, a small slice of bread first 
soaked in cold water and squeezed dry, a little thyme, minced parsley, % nutmeg 
grated, a little cayenne pepper and salt; heat these all well, then remove from 
the stove and add % cup of milk and 1 egg, well beaten. Mix all thoroughly and 
set aside to cool. When cold, form into croquettes, dip them in beaten egg, roll 
in cracker crumbs and fry brown in hot fat. 

Chicken Croquettes. —To 2 cups of cold boiled chicken, finely minced, add 1 
cup of fine bread crumbs, 2 well beaten eggs, pepper and salt to taste; add a little 
cream if not moist enough — it should be as soft as can be, and keep its shape 
after being molded. Have ready on the fire a kettle of hot fat; flour the hands 
and make the croquettes into rolls a little larger than English walnuts; dip them 
in beaten eggs, then in fine bread crumbs; place in a wire basket and fry in the 
hot lard until a golden brown; drain on a wire sieve, then keep them hot until 
time to serve. 

Chicken Croquettes, No. 2. — Take 1 cup finely chopped chicken, 1 cup finely 
sifted bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon salt, % teaspoon white pepper, % teaspoon 
chopped parsley, and % CU P stock, made by boiling the bones of the chicken; heat 
all together, and then stir in 1 beaten egg. When cold, form into croquettes, roll 
each in fine bread crumbs, then in beaten egg, then in crumbs again. Put them 
carefully into the frying-basket, and plunge it into smoking hot fat for 1 or 2 
minutes. 



134 HASH AND CROQUETTES. 

Chicken and Oyster Croquettes. — Take 1 cup of cold chicken, chopped fine, 

1 saucer of cold, escaloped oysters, also chopped, % cup sifted bread crumbs, 
pepper, salt, a little mace, and 1 egg, beaten light; add a little broth made of the 
bones of the chicken boiled in just water enough to cover them. Have the mix- 
ture as soft as you can handle it, form into long rolls as large as a man's finger, 
roll in sifted bread crumbs, and fry in hot fat. Serve with slices of lemon. 

Fish Croquettes. — Remnants of any cold fish, egg, bread crumbs, cayenne, salt, 
and fat for frying are needed for these. Flake the fish finely, season to taste, add 
an equal quantity of bread crumbs; make a stiff paste with beaten egg; form 
into round balls about an inch thick and 3 or 4 inches long, and fry them a golden 
brown in hot lard. Serve on a napkin, to absorb all the superflous fat. 

Hominy Croquettes. — Soak 1 cup hominy in water all night, and the next 
morning boil it till tender in 1 quart milk; let it cool, add 1 oz. butter, 1 egg, and 
season to taste with salt and cayenne. When cold, shape it in balls, egg and 
bread-crumb each, and fry in hot fat. Serve with tomato or onion sauce. 

Lobster Croquettes. — Use the fresh or canned lobster; strain off all the liquor 
and chop fine. Take 2 slices of bread, soak in water, remove the crust, squeeze 
dry, and mix with the lobster; season with salt, pepper, the juice of a lemon, and 
mix to a paste with a well beaten egg. Form into cakes, dip in beaten egg, then 
in sifted cracker crumbs, and fry in smoking hot fat. 

Oyster Croquettes. — Take the oysters, beard them and chop fine, and mix into 
a firm paste with bread crumbs, moistened with the yolk of an egg, seasoned with 
parsley, sweet marjoram, pepper and salt. Cut into finger-shaped pieces, and fry 
a delicate color. Strain and serve piled high on a dish, garnished with parsley. 

Potato Croquettes. — Take 2 cups cold mashed potatoes, 2 eggs, salt to taste, % 
cup fine cracker crumbs; mix well, and roll on the kneading board with the hands 
in round cakes or long ones; scatter a little fine cracker dust on the board; egg 
and bread-crumb, and fry until brown in smoking hot lard. 

Rice Croquettes. — Take J^j cup rice, boil until soft, let it cool and beat in 2 
eggs, 2 spoons sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt; mold into balls, egg and bread-crumb, and 
fry in smoking hot fat. 

Rice and Chicken Croquettes. — Take 1 cup cold chopped chicken, seasoned 
with pepper and salt, and 1 cup boiled rice; heat together on a teakettle, pail or 
double boiler, and if the mixture seems dry, add a little milk; when hot, stir in 1 
egg, beaten light, and take from the fire when thoroughly mixed. When cold, 
shape into balls, egg and bread-crumb, and fry in smoking hot fat. 

Veal Croquettes.— Take 1 heaping cup of cold chopped veal, 1 cup fine, dry 
bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, a pinch each of sage and red pepper, 

2 teaspoons lemon juice; moisten with sweet milk, heat it, and add 1 egg, well 
beaten; use milk enough to make it as soft as you can handle when it is cold. When 
cold, form it into croquettes, egg and bread-crumb, and fry in smoking hot fat. 

Kromeskies. — Kromeskies are croquettes cooked in the Russian manner; they 
are made as follows: Mince the remains of any cold meat, fish, poultry, or shell- 
fish, as for croquettes; season them nicely, and shape like a cork. Instead of 
dipping them in egg, and afterwards in bread crumbs, cut some slices of cold fat 
bacon (boiled) as thin as writing paper; wrap the croquettes in these, dip each one 
in a little frying batter, fry them in hot clarified fat, and when brown and crisp, 
arrange neatly on a hot dish; garnish with fried parsley, and serve immediately. 
Kromeskies may be made according to any of the recipes given for croquettes, and 
should be cooked as above. 



HASH AND CROQUETTES. 135 

Scotch Collops. — Cut away the fat and any skinny portions there may be from 
about 1% lbs. of steak, and mince it finely, seasoning it well with salt and pepper. 
An onion can be added, if liked, but this is a matter of taste. Melt a little butter 
in a stew-pan, put in the mince, and stir it frequently to keep it from getting into 
lumps. In about 8 minutes, dredge a little flour over it, and pour upon it a little 
stock, boiling hot. Let it simmer gently a minute or two longer, and serve very 
hot. Three-cornered pieces of toasted bread may be put around the dish as a 
garnish. 

Kouftas {An Indian Dish).— Chop cold meat finely, season it well with 
pepper, salt and spice, make it into a paste with the yolk of egg, form it into 
cakes, and fry it brown in butter. 



EGGS. 

The eggs of different birds vary much in size and color. Those of the 
ostrich are largest. They are said to be pleasant in taste, and to keep longer 
than hens' eggs. The eggs of the goose are large, but well flavored, while turkey 
eggs are almost as mild as hens' eggs. Ducks' eggs have a rich flavor, and the 
albumen is slightly transparent, or bluish when set by boiling. Guinea fowls' 
eggs are smaller and more delicate than those of the hen. The eggs of wild fowl 
generally partake somewhat of the flavor of the bird they belong to. Those of 
sea-fowl have a fishy taste more or less strong. The eggs of the turtle consist of 
yolk only, without shell, and are delicious. 

Hens' eggs are the ones principally used, and when raw they weigh 2 to 2% oz. 
The white of an egg is principally albumen, while the yolk contains most of the 
fat found in the egg, and most of the mineral matters, the latter being principally 
sulphur and phosphate of lime. The following table will show the percentage of 
the different elements in an egg. 





Water. 


Albumenoids. 


Fats. 


Mineral Matters. 


Eggs (whole) 
The white 
The yolk 


72.0 
85.0 
53.5 


14.0 
12.0 
15.0 


13.0 

2.0 
30.0 


1.0 
0.5 
1.5 



The potential energy is about 720 Calories to the lb. It will be seen that 
eggs are very nutritious. They contain rather more albumenoids and less fat 
than an equal weight of butcher's meat. It will be noticed, however, that they 
are deficient in the carbohydrates, and hence bread, potatoes, rice, or other 
starchy foods, should be eaten with them to supply the elements they lack. It 
will be wise to use eggs freely, as they are nutriment in its most portable and 
concentrated form, and they are palatable to all classes of people. They are 
strengthening to consumptives and to all feeble persons, and young children. 
They are medicine as well as food. The white of an egg is a soothing application 
for a burn, as it coats it over and excludes the air, and it is an antidote for 
various poisons like corrosive sublimate, creosote and acids, as these articles coag- 
ulate albumen, and if white of egg is given soon after they enter the system, it 
combines with them and protects the stomach. 

Children do not receive into their systems a sufficient supply of lime for the develop- 
ment of bones, if eggs form a large part of their diet, for the albumen and vitellin of eggs, 
although highly nutritious, and adapted to the making of muscle, is deficient in lime. The 
embryo chicken takes its lime for the growth of bone from the shell of the egg, which di- 
minishes in thickness day by day, until the time of hatching, when it becomes so thin as to 
be easily broken for the escape of the chicken. If the water supply of the family is in a 
limestone formation, children will get a sufficiency of lime through the medium of water; 
but if the rock formation is primitive, and the water very soft, the defect may be remedied 
by the use of lime-water, as explained in the chapter on "Invalid Cookery.' - 

Invalids should never be given eggs which are more than 2 or 3 days old, as they will 
then have begun to deteriorate. The albumen in an egg will not become thick enough 
to beat well until it has been laid about 10 hours; for boiling or poaching, eggs VA day 
old are best. The philosophy of cooking eggs is explained in our article on the principles 
and processes of cooking meat, which see. 

In breaking eggs, each one should be broken separately into a cup, and then 
there will be no danger that a bad egg will spoil other eggs or materials. Also 
be careful not to break the yolks, as that will spoil them for poaching, frying, etc. 

When putting eggs in to boil, great care should be taken not to crack the shell, 
as a portion of the white will then exude inevitably, and it lets water into the egg. 
When fresh eggs are dropped into a large quantity of boiling water, they crack, 
because the interior, being full, is expanded by the heat, and the shells give way. 
If the quantity of water is small, the shells do not crack, because putting cold 
eggs into hot water lowers its temperature. Stale eggs do not crack because the 
air inside is easily compressed. Prick pin-holes in the large end of the shell to 
keep the contents from oozing out through the crack, if an egg is cracked before 
putting it into the water. 

(136) 



EGGS. 137 

[Directions for purchasing, testing and preserving eggs, are given in our articles 
on marketing and on keeping provisions. 

Eggs should always be washed as soon as they come into the house. Take a 
little cloth and carefully remove every particle of soil from the eggs, and then the 
shells will be ready to use in clarifying coffee or soups. 

Coloring and Dyeing Eggs. — Eggs can be easily dyed for Easter, etc. The ani- 
line dyes are useful for the purpose. A simple plan is to place the eggs in colored 
water and boil them in it. Mottoes, monograms, etc., may be produced as fol- 
lows: Draw upon the^ shell with simple oil and a camel's hair brush, whatever 
name or device it is wished to display; then place it in the coloring liquid and 
the portions touched with oil will remain white, while the remainder will be 
dyed. In a similar way the ground may be left white while the designs are col- 
ored. Wrapping them in calico which is brightly colored, and then boiling them 
in lye, will also color them. Eggs can be colored brown by boiling them in strong 
coffee, and yellow with onion peelings. Cochineal will color them any shade from 
crimson to pink, according to the quantity used. Logwood chips will color them 
any shade from port wine to black, by varying the quantity used. They can be 
made like gold or silver by coating them with painters' size (after boiling them 
hard) and then rolling them in a plate containing gold or silver dust, such as 
bookbinders use, until they are entirely covered, or a name or Other device may 
be put on in this way. A little butter or oil rubbed over the egg, when it is suffi- 
ciently cool to handle, after being boiled, gives it a nice, bright look. 

VaultingEggs. — Eggs that will turn somersaults to amuse the children may be 
made as follows: Blow out the inside; then hold the finger over the hole in the 
small end of the shell, and pour a tablespoon of fine shot into the other; then hold 
the finger over the hole the shot went in, reverse the egg, and pour in through the 
other hole just enough melted wax or mutton suet to set the shot; paste a piece 
of paper over the hole in the large end, and glue a little worsted tassel in the 
upper hole. Paint, or mark with ink, a clownish head and body on the egg. 
When done, stand him on his head and he will do the rest. 

Baked Eggs. — Cut bread into nice square pieces and toast. Take eggs out of 
the shell, keeping yolks whole. Beat the whites to a stiff froth, lay the beaten 
white around nicely on the toast, drop yolks in center of white ring, sprinkle on 
salt and put in hot oven to bake a few minutes. When you take them out of the 
oven, pour a little melted butter on the toast. A nice way of serving eggs. 

No. 2. — Grease a pie-plate well with butter, break into it as many eggs as it 
will conveniently hold, and bake until the whites are fully set and the yolks 
slightly hardened; slip them on to a hot platter, and drop bits of butter over 
them, with a sprinkling of salt. 

To Boil Eggs. — Many fairly good cooks do not know how to boil eggs in the best 
manner. There are 2 good ways. One is to put them into cold water, gradually 
bring it to a boil, and as soon as the water commences to boil, they will be done. 
Another way is to put them into a sauce-pan and pour on boiling water enough 
to cover them; pouring the hot water on the eggs will lower its temperature a 
little; then let it simmer, not boil, until they are done, keeping the water about 
180° to 185°. 

It takes longer to cook eggs in this way than when they are put into boiling 
water, but when done, they will be jelly-like instead of tough and leathery, and 
are more easily digested. The length of time to leave them in the water depends 
on the individual taste. An egg to be soft-boiled should not be cooked in boiling 
water, for then the albumen near the outside will become tough before the yolk 
is heated. To hard-boil an egg, it needs only to be left in the simmering water 
longer — say 20 to 30 minutes; it will then be solid but not leathery; the yolk is 
more mealy when cooked 20 minutes than when cooked 10. Eggs for salads, etc., 
should be thus hard-boiled, and, when done, put in a basin of cold water a few 



138 EGGS. 

minutes; then roll them on the table with the hand and the shell will peel off 
easily. Do not cut up eggs for garnishing purposes until about the time they are 
needed, or the yolk will dry up and get discolored. 

Breakfast Eggs. — A nice breakfast dish is made by taking eggs from the 
shell and boiling them 2 minutes in a cup of sweet cream; then season with salt 
and pepper. 

Creamed Eggs. — Remove the shells from 6 hard-boiled eggs, cut them in halves, 
and cut a slice off the round end, enough to make them stand. Put 1 tablespoon 
of butter in a sauce-pan to melt; add 1 tablespoon flour, mix till smooth, add 1 
teacup milk or cream, and stir until it boils; season with salt and pepper. Stand 
the eggs on a heated dish, pour the sauce over, and serve. 

Curried Eggs. — Cut some hard-boiled eggs in halves; cut off the white end 
sufficiently to make them stand upright; then pour some curry sauce around 
them, and serve. 

Deviled Eggs. — Boil 1 doz. eggs hard; cut in two, lengthwise, take out the 
yolks, and mash them. Prepare 2 teaspoons of mustard by pouring a very little 
boiling water on, and mix smooth; add a small teaspoon of butter, 1 of sugar, 
a little salt, and a few drops of vinegar. Mix some of the prepared mustard with 
the yolksj and refill the white part of eggs with the dressing. They make a nice 
garnish for lettuce, and also a nice dish for picnics. Other stuffings can be devised 
and filled into the whites in the same way. Cut them in two crosswise instead 
of lengthwise, if preferred. 

Dropped Eggs on Toast. — Have ready a dish of boiling water, well salted, 
break the eggs into a saucer, and slide into the water, one at a time. Let the water 
keep at a boiling point, but not bubble, and dip the water with a spoon over the 
top of the eggs. Have ready some nice buttered toast, take the eggs up with a 
skimmer, lay on the toast, dust a little salt and pepper over them, and serve. 

Escaloped Eggs. — Boil 1 doz. eggs for 25 minutes; put in cold water and take 
off the shells. Slice the eggs, and put them in a pudding-dish in alternate layers 
with bread crumbs, having a layer of the finest crumbs on the top of the dish. 
Season each layer of eggs with pepper, salt, and a little chopped parsley, if liked, 
and before putting on the top layer of crumbs, pour over it a pint of sweet cream. 
Bake until browned on the top. Serve hot. A good country dish for luncheon, 
tea or breakfast. 

Fried Eggs. — Take a hot frying-pan, put in a lump of butter, let it melt, and 
then drop in the eggs; let them fry 3 minutes; add salt and pepper to season; 
lift out with a skimmer. The nicest way, however, is to use the egg-molds now 
made for the purpose in various sizes. In each mold put a piece of butter, and 
when melted, drop in the eggs; to prevent the under side from being over-done, 
loosen the edges every few seconds; season with salt and pepper, and take out 
with a spoon when done. Sorrel, spinach and green salads are nice with them. 
If a few eggs are fried in a large mold, put hot water in the unused forms. 

Cold fried eggs can be used for salad, or revamped by dipping them in fritter 
batter, and frying. A fine sauce for fried eggs is made of stewed tomatoes, grated 
cheese, and a couple of chopped up boiled sausages. 

Egg Gems. — Mix together chopped cold meat and bread crumbs, in equal 
quantities. If liked, a tiny bit of onion, chopped very fine, may be added to the 
meat and crumbs. Season with pepper, salt, a spoonful of melted butter, and 
enough milk to wet and bind it together nicely. Have some gem-pans well greased, 



EGGS. 139 

and fill with the mixture; then break an egg carefully on the top of each, season 
it with a little salt and pepper, and sprinkle some fine cracker or bread crumbs on 
the top. Bake 8 minutes. 

Omelets.— These light and simple dishes require practice to prepare them to 
perfection. Do not cook them until just before they are needed, and then serve 
them at once on a very hot dish. The mixing is simpler than the cooking. Any 
smooth iron spider will answer, but have it very clean. Have a clear fire, and the 
pan hot before making the omelet. Mix the omelet, moisten the bottom of the 
pan with a little butter, pour in the omelet and as soon as slightly brown under- 
neath, turn one half over the other with a knife, let it harden a moment, and turn 
out on a plate, or lift out with a pancake turner. Brown the omelet merely— 
never burn it, as the scorched egg flavor is an injury to it. Numerous flavorings 
can be added, and the name will be derived from the meat, fish, vegetable or herb 
used. & 

Omelet, No. 1.— Beat 6 eggs very light, the yolks and whites separate; add % 
teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons of milk; have a very hot pan, put in 1 tablespooD 
of butter, pour in the egg mixture, shake on the hottest part of the stove until the 
egg begins to thicken, then place on a grate in the oven until set; run the knife 
between the omelet and pan, fold the omelet over, and serve on a hot dish. 

_ Omelet, No. 2.— Take 6 eggs, beat yolks and whites separately; add 1 teacup 
milk, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 tablespoon butter, salt and pepper to taste. Cook, and 
serve hot. 

Baked Omelet.— Take 4 eggs, yolks and whites beaten separately; 1 cup of 
milk, 1 tablespoon of flour and a little salt; add the whites just before putting the 
mixture in the oven. Bake 20 minutes in a well-buttered dish. 

Baked Omelet, No. 2.— Six eggs, 1 cup of milk, 1 tablespoon of flour, a pinch of 
salt. Beat the whites and yolks separately. Mix the flour, milk and salt, add the 
yolks, then add beaten whites. Have a buttered spider very hot; pour in. Bake 
in a quick oven 5 minutes. 

Green Corn Omelet.— Take 6 ears corn, grate or cut the kernels fine, add 4 
eggs, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 cup milk; season with salt and pepper, and bake % hour. 

Orange Omelet.— Mix a little orange juice, grated rind, and sugar, with the 
eggs before cooking them; or slice the oranges, removing the seeds and 
skin; make a plain omelet, and fold the omelet over part of the oranges, and 
spread the rest on top when it is done, sugaring the top also. 

Queen Omelet.— Use 2 extra yolks to every egg. Beat fast for 2 minutes. 
Have the frying-pan or spider hot, with a piece of butter the size of an egg; set in 
a hot oven and bake. When done it will be a light puff, and the extra yolks will 
keep it in shape and prevent its falling. Sprinkle with salt, and, if liked, with 
sugar; turn on a hot plate, sprinkle the other side with salt, and send to the 
table. 

Bice Omelet— To 1 cup of steamed or boiled rice, add 1 cup of water, 3 well 
beaten eggs, and 1 teaspoon of butter; season with salt and pepper, and, if liked, 
with a little finely chopped ham. Bake until it is a light brown. 

Sweet Omelet.— Do not use any pepper, but add a little sugar— about 1 tea- 
spoon for each egg. Make like a plain omelet, and when done, sprinkle sugar on 
top. This can be varied by putting any desired kind of jam, jelly, marmalade or 
preserves on top, or they can be folded inside when the omelet is folded over. 

Omelette Souffle.— Beat thoroughly together the yolks of 6 eggs and 6 table- 
spoons of pulverized sugar; flavor with vanilla or lemon, and then beat the whites 
of the eggs to a stiff froth, and stir lightly and quickly with the yolks and sugar; 



140 M&S. 

bake in an enamelled pudding-dish, or in small paper souffle cases, one for each 
person. The souffles should bake 10 or 15 minutes in a moderately hot oven, and 
be sent to the table immediately, as they soon fall. Blanched and pulverized 
sweet almonds can be added to the above for Almond Souffle. 

Various Omelets.— Any sort of an omelet can be made by folding into the omelet 
either sardines, tomatoes, ham, oysters, cheese, kidney, mushrooms, macaroni, or 
whatever one desires or has on hand. Asparagus tops are nice in an omelet. 
The ingenious cook can devise many new and attractive dishes. 

Poached Eggs. — Break the eggs separately into a cup; let them slide gently 
into boiling water with a few drops of vinegar in it. Take them out and serve 
on hot buttered toast. They are often conveniently poached in a frying-pan; 
when poached in quantities they are apt to run together. In poaching eggs, a few 
drops of lemon juice or vinegar in the water keeps the whites from spreading. 

Eggs Poached in Gravy. — Poach the eggs in gravy instead of water. Serve 
them in their gravy, if clear. Or, poach the eggs in water, and serve with rich 
gravy poured round them. 

Ham and Eggs. — Prepare thin slices of fried or broiled ham, and serve a 
poached egg on each one. 

Spanish Eggs. — Serve poached eggs on highly seasoned, hot, boiled rice. 

Anchovied Eggs. — Prepare slices of toast, spread them with butter and an- 
chovy paste, and put a poached egg on each slice. Sardine paste may be used 
instead of the anchovy, if preferred. 

Scrambled Eggs.' — For every egg allow an even tablespoon of melted butter 
and a tablespoon of sweet milk. When the butter and milk is hot, put in the eggs 
without beating, and stir. When it begins to cook, scrape fast from the bottom 
of the frying-pan to keep from scorching. Take off while very soft, as they cook 
a half minute after being taken off, for which many cooks do not allow. Serve 
by itself hot, or on toast. A dash of lemon juice added just as they are going 
to the table is an improvement. 

Scrambled Eggs, No 2. — Beat the eggs, and allow 1 tablespoon of milk for 
each egg; season with salt and pepper, and fry in a buttered frying-pan, and while 
cooking, stir from the bottom. A few spoonfuls of boiled string-beans, or boiled 
peas, or tender ends of asparagus left over from dinner, can be stirred in; these 
are nice, furnish variety, and use up remnants. Try and devise new dishes. 

Scalloped Eggs. — Moisten bread crumbs with cream; place a layer in the bot- 
tom of a buttered dish; slice hard-boiled eggs, and put a layer of them, with but- 
ter, pepper and salt, with chopped cold meat; continue until the dish is full; sift 
grated crumbs over the top, and put bits of butter on it; set it in the oven and 
bake 10 minutes. 

Shirred Eggs. — Take 6 eggs, 3 tablespoons of gravy — from poultry is best — 
enough fried toast to cover bottom of a flat dish, a very little grated cheese, 1 
teaspoon butter. Melt the butter in a frying-pan; when hot, break into this the 
eggs. Stir in gravy, and season; stir quickly and well up from the bottom, until 
the whole is a soft yellow mass. Have ready in a flat dish the fried toast. Heap 
the shirred eggs upon this, and serve before it hardens. 

Scotch Eggs. — With 1 cup of cooked ham, chopped fine, mix % a cup of bread 
crumbs made into a paste with % a cup of milk, % a teaspoon of prepared mus- 
tard, a little salt, and 1 egg, well beaten; hard-boil 6 eggs, remove the shells, and 
cover them with the prepared mixture, and fry about 2 minutes in very hot fat; 



EGGS. 141 

serve either hot or cold. Chicken, veal or salmon may be substituted for the 
ham, but lemon juice should be added to the seasoning if salmon is used. 

Steamed Eggs. — Break each egg into an egg-cup, set them in a steamer and steam 
until cooked. They can be put in buttered patty-pans, if more convenient, and 
then steamed. Serve hot. 

Stuffed Eggs. — Cut hard-boiled eggs in two, take out the yolk, and mix it 
with fried onions, a little finely chopped ham, and parsley, pepper and salt; fill 
the whites with this mixture, and fry until the yellow browns a little. 

Egg Toast. — Take a tablespoon of butter and 2 of cream, and warm together in 
a frying-pan. Break 6 eggs in it and stir lightly until cooked; have well 
seasoned; have buttered slices of toast, spread the mixture on it, and serve hot. 



MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 

MILK. 

Milk is the only food which, taken alone, will support life in all its stages. It 
is the only perfect food for children, and in old age it is one of the most valuable 
foods known. The fat rises in the form of cream; curd is the nitrogenous 
matter, and the whey contains sugar of milk, or lactose, with the salt or mineral 
matter. Milk differs as procured from different animals, but its general char- 
acteristics are the same in all, and that of the cow is most generally used. Unless 
the milk is of the best quality, all the preparations made from it will be of an 
inferior character. Milk when of good quality is of an opaque white color, 
although the color slightly varies in different breeds of cattle, and that from 
poorly fed cattle is inferior in quality. One pint of good cow's milk will contain: 

17 oz. and 330 grains of water. 

370 grains of casein (curd). 
333 grains of milk fat (butter). 
1 oz. and 22 grains of milk sugar (lactose). 

72 grains of mineral matter (salts). 

The composition of milk, butter and cheese is as follows: 

WATER. ALBUMEN- CARBOHT- EATS. MINERAL POTENTIAL ENERGY 
% OIDS. DRATES. % MATTERS. IN 1 ft. CALORIES. 

% % % 

Milk 87.0 3.6 4.7 4.0 0.7 325 

Butter 10.5 1.0 0.» 85.0 0.5 3615 

Cheese, full cream.. 30.2 28.3 1.8 35.5 4.2 2070 

Cheese, skim-milk... 41.3 38.4 8.9 6.8 4.6 1165 

Oleomargarine 11.0 0.6 0.4 85.0 3.0 3605 

The mineral matter contained in milk consists of chloride of sodium, phos- 
phates, acetate of potassa, and lactate of iron. 

Milk when taken into the stomach is coagulated by the acids in the gastric fluids, and 
the coagulum (curd) is digested like any other solid. The watery parts are absorbed. If 
much milk is drunk rapidly it will form a solid mass; if it is sipped a little at a time it will 
be broken into small parts, and will, therefore, be more easily digested. A quantity of acid 
taken into the stomach just before or after drinking milk is apt to harden the curd, and so 
interfere with its digestion. Between milk, flour and blood, there is great similarity of 
composition. The curd is the albumenoid part. From no other substance, solid or fluid, can 
so great a number of distinct kinds of aliment be prepared as from milk, some forming 
food, others drink; some of them delicious and deserving the name of luxuries, all of them 
wholesome, and some medicinal. Milk when first drawn from the cow is slightly alkaline, 
but afterwards lactic acid is formed, so that it becomes first neutral, then acid, and the 
acidity goe9 on increasing until it is perceptible to the taste; this acidity is thought to as- 
sistrin the rising of the cream. In milk we have the tissue-making elements in its. casein, 
and the heat-making in its butter; the curd or casein is changed to albumen again in the 
process of digestion. The souring of milk is caused by the bacteria which alight on the 
milk and cause a fermentation which acts on the lactose (sugar of milk) and forms lactic 
acid, which causes the sourness. When enough acid is formed it will unite with the soda in 
the casein, making lactate of soda. The casein, when thus deprived of its soda, is insol- 
uble in water, and it shrinks into a curdy mass. The introduction of an acid will hasten 
the process, as is done in making cheese. 

Solidified milk is made by sweetening fresh cow's milk, and evaporating it to 
dryness in a water bath; when re-dissolved in water, it is said to have all the 
qualities of fresh milk. This preparation of milk is sometimes called lactoline. ^ 

Sugar of milk is the dry, white, nearly tasteless powder used by physicians in 
preparing medicine in powders. It does not gather dampness like cane sugar, 
and will keep in good condition for years. It is sometimes given to children 
by itself, as a remedy in certain conditions of the system. It is made from 
evaporated whey. 

Canned or Condensed Milk. — This is now to be obtained in all parts of the 
civilized world, and is invaluable, as, being evaporated by steam and hermetically 
sealed, it will keep for an indefinite time, while sealed, and after the can is 
opened, if care is taken, it will keep good for a week. The directions for reducing 

(142) 






MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 143 

it are on the can. There is cane sugar added to it before condensing, and it has 
the color and consistency of thick, opaque honey. It can be used clear, a tea- 
spoonful to a cup of coffee, without sugar, as it is already sweetened. Diluted to 
the right consistency, it is much used as a food for infants. When good milk is 
difficult to obtain, condensed milk is a great blessing, for, being sterilized by 
extreme heat, it is free from dangerous germs. The large amount of cane sugar 
which it contains, and which is added to preserve it and prevent its thickening 
in the can, renders it somewhat less suited for infants than the natural milk, 
however. 

Sour Milk.— If milk sours on your hands, do not throw it away — it can be used 
in various ways, as in making corn bread, soda biscuit and all kinds of pancakes, 
while many cooks prefer it to sweet milk, in making cookies, doughnuts and 
gingerbread. Sour milk can be substituted for sweet in making most kinds of 
cake, but remember in that case that only half as much cream of tartar should be 
used as the recipe calls for. 

Buttermilk also has many uses besides being used as a drink (to drink, it 
should be fresh) as it can be made into soup, or used in making corn bread, pan- 
cakes, soda biscuit, and many kinds of cake. 

For hints on keeping milk, see our article on Keeping Provisions; and for the 
adulteration of milk, see our article on the Adulteration of Food. 

BUTTER. 

Butter is the solidified oil or .fatty matter of the milk of animals. The Greeks 
and Romans neither employed it in cooking, nor had it brought upon their tables; 
they used it only as an ointment in their baths. The Hebrews appear to have 
used it as food from an ancient date, and in England it has been used from very 
early times. In making butter the utmost care is required in all the manipula- 
tions from the time it leaves the cow until it is packed. The peculiar flavor of 
butter is derived principally from the butyric acid it contains. In the milk, the 
globules of fat are held in solution, by the albumenoid (or proteid) matters, 
forming what is termed an emulsion. The albumenoid matter must be separated 
from the butter before or during the process of churning, or the butter will not 
keep well. 

For suggestions about keeping butter, and how to sweeten rancid butter, see 
our article on "Keeping Provisions." 

To Make Butter (Juickly. — Immediately after the cow is milked, strain into 
clean pans and set over a moderate fire until it is scalding hot; do not let it boil; 
then set it aside, and when cold, skim off the cream, and the milk will still be fit 
for any ordinary use. When you have enough cream, put it into a clean earthen 
basin, beat it with a wooden spoon until the butter is made, which will not be 
long; then take it out of the milk and work it in a little cold water until it is free 
from milk, then drain off the water, put in a small tablespoon of fine salt to each 
Bb. of butter and work it in. A small teaspoon of fine white sugar worked in with 
the salt will be found an improvement; sugar is a great preservative. Make the 
butter in a roll, cover with a piece of muslin and keep in a cool place. 

An easy method of washing butter is to remove the butter from the churn, 
pour off the milk or buttermilk, as the case may be, half fill the churn with cold 
water (a little salt may be added to the water), replace plunger and throw back 
the butter, and operate the churn as before for 1 minute. This process will 
extract all the milk from the butter, which may then be placed in a sieve to allow 
the water to strain from it, and then worked in the usual manner. 

Butter, to Salt (Irish Recipe). — To 1 Bb. of common salt add 1 lb. of salt- 
petre and % Bb- °f white sugar; pound all these together and mix them well, and 
to every pound of butter allow 1 ounce of this mixture; make it fresh as you 
want it, observing to be careful always to keep the same proportions, and to mix 
the ingredients thoroughly. The butter should stand a month before you use it, 
to ripen. 



144 MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 

Butter to Salt, No. 2. — One pound of best salt, 4 oz. of sugar, and 1 oz. of salt- 
petre; pulverize it well together, and allow of this, 1 oz. to the pound of butter. 

Clarified Butter, or Ghee, as it is called by the Arabs, is prepared as follows: 
Put butter in a farina boiler or porcelain bowl, put it on the stove and bring to a 
boil; when cheesy, thick, white grains form, move it to the back of the range; the 
buttermilk which rises to the top should be skimmed off; after it has settled, 
strain it, and the clear, oily fluid remaining can be bottled for use." It can be 
kept for years, and for frying oysters, fritters, etc., there is nothing better known. 

Substitutes for Butter. — Butterine. — In preparing this, lard is heated to a 
temperature not exceeding 120°, and the oil is separated; a similar oil is obtained 
from beef fat, the 2 are mixed, and they are then churned with milk, making the 
butterine of commerce. 

Oleomargarine.* — In preparing this, beef fat is washed, ground, and heated 
to 120° to 200° to separate the oil, which is known as "butter oil." This is cooled, 
salted, put into milk, a little annatto added to give it color, and it is then 
churned and worked like butter. In preparing butterine and oleomargarine 
only the best fats can be used, for there is no way now known to remove 
the unpleasant odor of fat if it is at all foul. These preparations are about as 
nutritious as true butter, and if properly used they are a most valuable addition 
to the food of the poorer people, who commonly suffer from a want of fatty food. 
Strict laws have been passed in some of the states against their sale except under 
their true name, and this is very desirable. It is a fraud to sell them for pure 
butter, but if well made, and sold for what they really are, they merit an exten- 
sive sale. They are certainly preferable to the poorer grades of butter, often 
partly rancid, which are frequently sold in the large cities. The objection to 
their use rests rather on sentiment and prejudice than on any physiological basis. 
They are to be considered rather as substitutes for, than imitations of butter. 

Other substitutes for butter are the vegetable oils; olive oil is best, if pure, but 
it is often adulterated with inferior oils. Peanut oil is excellent, and cotton-seed 
oil of late has taken an important place in cookery; it is inexpensive, and a less 
quantity is required than of butter in cooking. A preparation of cotton-seed oil 
and beef suet has been widely advertised, and is much used instead of butter and 
lard. Sesamum or Benne oil should be better known; it is easily raised in the 
southern states. It is a bland and odorless oil, and a most excellent substitute 
for olive oil in salads. It keeps for a long time without becoming rancid, if stored 
in a dark place. Poppy-seed oil is also being used now somewhat. We believe 
the day is near at hand when some of the vegetable oils will largely supplant lard 
and other animal fats in nearly all cooking operations. 

Some people who have a dread of "margarine," take a piece of fat pork, melt 
it down, and strain it through a piece of coarse, thin muslin; then set it aside 
until it is cold. It is then white and firm, and may be used like butter in any 
kind of cake. In pound cake it is delicious. 

A Word About Fats. — And right here we may say a few words about differ- 
ent fats. There are 3 substances called "stearin," "margarin," and "olein" which, 
without exception, principally make up all the fats we consume. They are called 
"neutral fats," and the fact that they melt at different temperatures constitutes 

*It was during the Franco-German war of 1870-71 that a French chemist Mege-Mourier 
acting under instructions from Napoleon III, went into his laboratory and invented the 
process of making a substitute for butter, designing it for use in the French army. The 
process has since been further perfected, and the making of these substitutes has now 
become a great industry. 



MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 145 

the principal difference between them. There is a small amount of what are 
known as "fatty acids" in the vegetable oils, and in butter there is from 5 to 8 
per cent of 4 of these fatty acids (butyric, capronic, caprylic and caprinic) and 
from these butter derives its peculiar flavor. Olein melts the most easily, and 
stearin the least so. The fats which melt most readily are the most digestible, 
and are most readily assimilated by the system, but the healthy stomach readily 
disposes of any fat used in the household, in reasonable quantities, although it 
should be taken into the system finely divided instead of in lumps. It will readily 
be seen, therefore, that all the fats are substantially alike, and when once they 
are assimilated, they perform the same services for the body. Their flavors, and 
the readiness with which they melt in the mouth and in the digestive tract, make 
some forms, like butter, more palatable than others. Mutton fat would do about 
as well as any, but it is not swallowed readily because it contains so much stearin. 
The body requires a certain amount of fat, but it makes very little difference 
which one it takes, and for this reason the introduction of some cheaper forms of 
fat, in such a shape that they will be palatable, will be a great benefit to the 
mass of the people. We believe, as we have elsewhere stated, that some of the 
vegetable oils will soon be quite generally used, and it is certainly to be desired 
that they should be. Wealthy people will always use the best butter, but the 
mass of the people should understand what the cheaper substitutes are, and their 
properties and merits, and certainly there is no hygienic or physiological reason 
why they should not use these cheaper substitutes, and so make a material saving 
in the household expenses. 

CHEESE. 

When milk is curdled it separates into two portions— curd and whey. The 
former consists of the butter and casein, and produces cheese; the latter is mainly 
water, holding the sugar and mineral constituents of the milk in solution. Any 
acid introduced in milk has the curious property of coagulating the curd or 
casein. This acid is supplied by the "rennet," but in some countries a weak 
solution of hydrochloric acid is used instead. In preparing cheese for cooking 
old cheese should be grated, and new and soft ones should be chopped. 

An analysis of cheese shows it to he one of the most nourishing of foods 1 B. of aver- 
age cheese containing more nutriment than an equal weight of ordinary meat. Eaten raw 
it is not suited to persons of weak digestion or of sedentary habits, and it tends to produce 
costiveness. If it could be properly cooked it ought to be one of the most desirable of 
foods. _ It is frequently over-cooked, converting it into an air-tight, leathery substance 
which is harder to digest than the raw cheese. When lightly cooked it is easily assimilated 
and very nourishing. In fact it is too nourishing to be eaten heartily as an accompani- 
ment to meat; it is more adapted for the main course of the meal. It Is most deficient in 
the salts of potash, which, on account of their great solubility, are left behind in the whev 
Eating freely of fruits or salads will supply these salts, but vegetables do not answer the pur- 
pose, because m ordinary methods of cooking them, theirsaltsare dissolved out and wasted. 
With the advance of scientific knowledge and scientific cookery the true value of cheese for 
food will some time be better appreciated, and it will take a much more important place 
w^°w g fc £ e f i^? °t the rac , e i ha £ at Present, we believe, and it is certainly entitled to it 
We ^°Vi d add tbatsome of the German scientists have recently been investigating the di- 
gestibility of cheese Dr. Rubner found that when taken alone he could not consume 
much of it, but when taken with milk he easily assimilated nearly y 2 ft The softer kind! 
are very largely used in Germany. Except in fat, skim cheeses are as nutritious as any 

For hints about purchasing and keeping cheese see our articles on Marketing 
and on Keeping Provisions. 

Rennet.— This is made from the fourth or lowest stomach (the abomasus) of 
the calf. Soon after the animal is slain the stomach should be cut open at one 
end, emptied of the curdled milk, and turned inside out; then with a damp cloth 
dipped in dry salt, carefully wipe the inside of the bag until it is free from any 
particles of curdled milk; do not wash it, as that extracts the gastric juice. Rub 
fane salt thoroughly into both the inside and outside of the bag, place it in a 

•Yi. \t COVer [t to keep out the flies> The next da ^ there wil1 be a brine formed 
with the salt; turn the rennet-skin in the bowl, and let it stand another day to 



146 MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 

pickle. Take a long, slender, green, wooden stick, make it into bow shape, and 
stretch the rennet bag on the stick and hang it up to dry. When thoroughly 
dry, do it up in paper so that no insects can get into it, and keep it in a dry place. 

To Prepare Rennet. — When wanted for use, the dried rennet is cut in pieces 
about an inch square, and if to be used for invalids' curds it is put in a bottle with 
wine; a piece half the size of the hand is enough for a pint of wine; it must be 
kept well corked. It is better to have the druggist prepare the rennet-wine after 
his formula. A teaspoonf ul is enough to "set" a quart of sweetened milk. Set 
the milk on some solid foundation, as it then coagulates with much less rennet 
than when it is jarred by people walking near it. For dairy purposes the rennet 
is steeped in a weak brine, but that way of preparing it is not the best for 
invalid cookery. 

The usual mode of serving cheese, is to cut the desired quantity into neat, 
square pieces, and put them in a glass cheese-dish, in which it is handed around 
the table. If the cheese is too crumbly to be served in this manner, the host or 
hostess can have the large piece of cheese placed on the table, with a cheese- 
scoop to serve it with, or a heavy silver spoon. The cheese must be nicely 
scraped before serving in the latter way. When there is a cheese course at 
dinner, several kinds of cheese are placed on the table at once, cream cheese, 
Parmesan, Stilton, etc., etc., and rusks, crackers, or fancy biscuits, fanciful pats 
of butter, lettuce, cucumbers or cresses, are served with the cheese. 

Parmesan cheese is, perhaps, the most celebrated of the foreign varieties. It is made of 
skimmed milk, and owes its rich flavor to the fine, sw eet herbage of Lombardy about 
Parma and Pavia, in Italy, where the cows are pastured. It is distinguished by its power 
of keeping, and after being kept some time becomes hard, and needs to be grated before 
it can be used. 

Boiled Cheese. — Take 2 thick slices of cheese, 1 teaspoon of butter, 3^ teacup 
of milk, a little sugar and mustard, 1 egg, pepper and salt to taste. Put all the 
ingredients, except the egg, into a clean pan, and stir over the fire until they 
boil and become quite smooth; then beat the egg well, and stir it in over the 
fire for a minute, after which pour out on a dish and brown in the oven. 

Cream Cheese. — Dip a cheese cloth in salted water, and put it in a square dish 
or baking-tin, having first laid a folded napkin in the dish; on the cheese-cloth 
put the thickest cream you have — it must be perfectly sweet (Devonshire cream 
is the best); pour the cream in, a little at a time, and sprinkle a little salt on 
each layer; fold over the cloth and let it lie until the next day; then turn.it into 
a dry cloth, put a dry, folded cloth under it, put a little square platter on it, and 
set a flatiron on the platter; change the dry cloth once more, and on the third 
day it is ready to eat. If preferred, this cheese can be made in a round form in 
a pudding-dish. 

Cottage Cheese. — Put a pan of sour or loppered milk on the stove or range 
where it is not too hot; let it scald until the whey rises to the top (be careful not 
to let it boil or the curd will become hard and tough). Place a clean cloth or 
towel over a sieve, and pour this whey and curd into it, leaving it covered to drain 
2 or 3 hours; then put it into a dish and chop it fine with a spoon, adding a tea- 
spoon of salt, a teaspoon of butter, and enough sweet cream to make the cheese 
the consistency of putty. With your hands make it into little flattened balls. 
Keep in a cool place. Some like it made rather thin with cream, serving it in a 
deep dish. 

Devonshire Cream.— The milk should stand 24 hours in the winter, and half 
that time in warm weather; then the milk pan is set on the stove, and should 
there remain until the milk is quite hot, but it must not boil. When it is suffi- 
ciently done, the undulations on the surface look thick, and small rings appear. 
The time required for scalding cream depends on the size of the pan, and the 
heat of the fire, but the slower it is done the better. Set it back in the dairy 



MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 147 

again, after scalding, and skim the following day. This cream is so much 
esteemed that it is sent to "the London markets in small square tins, and is 
exceedingly delicious when eaten with fresh fruit. In Devonshire, butter is 
made from this cream, and is usually very firm. 

Cheese Fritters. — Put into a sauce-pan 1 pint of water, X% oz. of butter, a 
teaspoon of black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne, and bring the water to boiling 
point; then gradually stir in flour enough to make a thick paste. Remove from 
the fire and incorporate J^ pound of grated Parmesan cheese, the whites of 2 
eggs beaten to a froth, and the yolks of 4. Let the paste stand for 2 hours, and 
then fry in little pieces, dropped into boiling lard. Sprinkle a little salt over 
them before serving. 

Fondue. — Beat 6 eggs until light; season with salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons 
grated cheese; put a tablespoon of butter in a frying-pan; when hot, pour in the 
eggs and stir until well done and smooth; serve on buttered toast. 

The Home Cheese Scallop. — Soak 1 cup of dry bread crumbs in fresh milk; 
beat into it 3 eggs, add 1 tablespoon of butter and ^ Bb. of grated cheese; strew 
upon the top sifted bread crumbs, and bake in the oven a delicate brown. 

Italian Curds (Gallino Curds).— Take a number of the rough coats that line 
the gizzards of turkeys and fowls; clean them from their contents, rub them well 
with salt, and hang them to dry. When needed for use, break off bits; pour over 
them a little hot water, and after standing over night it is ready for use. It 
makes a more delicate curd than calf's rennet. Warm 2 quarts of milk, and add 
some of the gallino liquor, and, when the curd is well set, dip it carefully with a 
large spoon or ladle into a colander over which a cheese-cloth has been spread; 
handle it carefully so as not to start the white whey. When the whey has sepa- 
rated from the curd, so that it has consistence, sprinkle with salt, and send to 
the table. 

Cheese and Macaroni (Italian Mode). — Boil 6 ounces of the best macaroni in 3 
pints of boiling water, with a little pepper and salt. Allow it to simmer gently for 
15 or 20 minutes, then drain it, return the macaroni to the sauce-pan with % a pint 
of good gravy and allow it to simmer until it has absorbed all the liquid. Have 
ready grated ^ lb. of cheese, put half of it with the macaroni until it is nearly 
melted, and then add the remainder with an ounce of butter. Stir it well, always 
the one way, until cheese and macaroni are well mixed. Serve very hot. A little 
short crust bordering the dish is an addition. 

Polpetti (Italian).— Chop cold meat finely, either roast or boiled; season with 
mushrooms or truffles, and grated Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper and 
chutnee sauce; spread on a tin to cool, after being well heated together; cut in 
small squares when cold, dip in egg, and then in bread crumbs, and fry in hot 
lard. Serve with plain -boiled macaroni and cream. 

Potted Cheese. — To pot cheese is an economical way of disposing of any that has 
become dry. Cut the cheese into small pieces, and pound it smoothly in a mortar, 
adding a little nice, sweet butter, just sufficient to make a paste suitable for spread- 
ing on bread for sandwiches; add a little mixed mustard, and a trifle of cayenne to 
the paste; pack in little earthen pots, if to be set on the table for an appetizer, cover 
closely, and set in a dry place; if there is danger of mold, put a few drops of 
extract of cloves on the top of the paste before covering; or, if preferred, a thin 
layer of nice salad oil. 

Smear Case. — Pour boiling water on clabbered milk, till the curd separates 



148 MILK, BUTTER AND CHEESE. 

from the whey; let it stand till the curd settles, then pour cold-water on it and 
stir; let settle, drain water off; do this till the water is clear, then let it settle, 
and squeeze out enough curd for one meal. Season with salt, pepper and 
sugar, and pour good, sweet cream over. You can keep it in water for several 
days, by changing the water every day. 

Cheese Straws. — Mix together 4 tablespoons of flour, a pinch of salt, a very 
little cayenne pepper, and 3 oz. of grated English cheese. Add the beaten yolk 
of an egg, and then enough iced water to make a very stiff paste. Roll the paste 
out on a board into a sheet ~% of an inch thick. Cut the paste into strips % 
of an inch wide and 5 inches long, and bake them about 10. minutes in a very hot 
oven. They should be a very light brown. If you have any scraps of paste left, 
roll them into a sheet, and cut it into small rings. Bake them, and slip little 
bundles of the straws through them. 

Toast with Cheese. — In 1 cup of milk stir 1 cup of grated cheese, and boil 
until the cheese softens in the milk; then add 2 well-beaten eggs; stir until it 
boils, take from the fire and spread over nicely-browned toast. Served very hot. 
This will be found enjoyable. It is a nice dish for breakfast or tea. 

Welsh Rarebit. — Cut slices of stale bread about 3^ inch thick, and toast them 
a nice brown on both sides (take time enough so that it can be well done without 
scorching, and this rule will apply to making toast at any time). Have as many 
thin slices of rich, mild cheese as there are of the toasted bread; dip the edges of 
the toast in hot water, and spread with softened butter; lay a slice of the cheese on 
each slice of toast, and set the platter on the top shelf of a hot oven until the 
cheese is melted into the toast and slightly browned. Another way is to lay each 
slice of toast on a blue-edged English baking-plate, just a little larger than the 
toast; dust a little cayenne, or pepper, on the toast before putting on the cheese; 
place the little plates in a large dripping-pan, without water, set on the top shelf 
of the hot oven, and when done as above directed, serve each person with the 
rarebit on the hot plate. Another method is to melt the cheese in a little cup 
and pour it over the prepared toast. Some add a little butter and milk, stirring 
it into the melted cheese till smooth, before pouring it over the toast. Others 
add a little egg, butter, mustard and cayenne. Do not make it until just ready 
to serve it, as, if it stands and becomes cold, it will be nearjy spoiled. 



SALADS. 

Salads are preparations of uncooked vegetables, of which lettuce and celery 
are most generally used; many others, however, are frequently used, such as 
cabbage, potato, water-cress, onions, asparagus, etc. As vegetables when eaten 
raw are apt to ferment in the stomach, and as they have very little stimulative 
power on that organ, they are usually dressed with some condiments, such as 
pepper, vinegar, salt, mustard and oil. Medical men disagree about the use of 
these, especially about the oil, some condemning and others recommending it. 

The vegetables used in salads should be very carefully cleaned, using ice-cold 
water to wash them in, and they should be afterwards carefully dried in a towel. 
Do not break the leaves if you can help it, as that will make them wilt quickly. 
Putting lettuce, cabbage, celery, etc., into ice-cold water for 2 or 3 hours will make 
them crisp. Vegetable salads are best eaten at once after they are made, but 
chicken salad will keep a number of days in cold weather. As a knife when used 
on a vegetable salad will blacken it, and impair its crispness, it is better to avoid 
using one; use a wooden spoon to stir a salad, and stir no more than necessary. 
The freshest olive salad oil is the best to use. Cotton-seed oil is often sold as olive 
oil, which is a fraud, but if sold at a fair price under its true name, its use is un- 
objectionable, as it is a nutritious vegetable oil. Melted butter is used instead 
of oil by some people, who say they like it better. While melted butter may do 
for family use, oil is tne only thing for "state occasions." Arrange a salad on a 
platter or in an earthen salad bowl; never put it in glass, as it looks disagreeably 
smeary when you begin to dish it out. 

As lettuce is necessary to so many salads, a word may be said about the 
proper way to prepare it. It is quite apt to be infested with insects which pene- 
trate even to the inner leaves, and therefore each leaf must be carefully washed 
and examined. Let it stand in very cold water an hour or longer, shake in a wire 
basket or coarse towel to free it from water, and put in the ice-box until serving 
time. An easier and quicker way than cutting lettuce for salad is to lay 6 or 8 
leaves together in the hand and twist and tear them apart; it is better to tear 
than cut it. 

There is a common idea that salads are difficult to make and are principally 
adapted for the wealthy, or for special occasions. This is a mistake, as they can 
be made from "left-over" vegetables, and so are economical, and they are easily 
prepared when one knows how. The common people among the French use 
them almost daily, and to advantage. The vegetables used should be drained or 
dried thoroughly from the water, or the dressing when applied will be watery, 
and spoil the salad. Do not prepare plain salads until wanted at the table; if 
prepared long beforehand, the lettuce withers, and the dressing becomes watery. 

There is an admirable Spanish proverb about dressing salads. It says it re- 
quires 4 persons to mix a salad: a spendthrift to throw in the oil, a miser to drop 
in the vinegar, a lawyer to add the seasoning, and a madman to stir it together. 

To fringe Celery. — A simple and convenient way to fringe celery stalks, is to 
take a cork, put many large needles in the end, and then cut the celery into 
pieces about 2 inches long, and draw about half of each strip through the needles 
a few times. When well shreded, put away to become crisp in a cold place. Thus 
prepared it makes a good garnish for salads, meats, etc. 

To marinate a salad, is to let it stand for a time to season, sprinkled with a 
French dressing. 

Although salads usually contain no flesh forming or heat giving material, they are val- 
uable because they introduce into the system large quantities" of saline matter, which by 
the common method of cooking is generally removed from vegetables. For this reason 
they are of much value to the poorer inhabitants of our towns and cities. They should be 
cleaned very carefully so that no parasitic animals remain in them. The vegetables are 
best used when freshly cut, although some of their freshness may be regained if the stalks 
are freshly cut and placed under water. The salad dressing should not be added until the 
last moment. The French and Italians seem to best appreciate the value of salads. 

(149) 



150 SALADS. 

SALAD DRESSING. 

1 or 2 eggs beaten well. Vn cup sugar (scant). Va cup vinegar. 

H cup cold -water (if vinegar is sharp). Small piece of butter. Salt; red-pepper (to taste). 

Stir all together and bring to a boil. When cool, add }{ cup of sweet cream, 
or creamy milk. 

Salad Dressing, No. 2. — Rub to a paste the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs. Add 
1 teaspoon each of mustard, salt and sugar, with % a teaspoon of pepper, drop in 
about 2 tablespoons of salad oil or sweet cream, and add 4 tablespoons of lemon 
juice. This is a nice dressing for canned salmon also. 

Boiled Dressing. — Heat 1 cup fresh cream nearly to boiling point; stir in 1 
tablespoon sifted flour previously wet with cold milk, and boil 2 minutes, stirring 
all the time; add 2 tablespoons of sugar and take from the stove. When half 
cold, beat in whites of 2 eggs, beaten stiff; when quite cold, beat in 2 tablespoons 
of salad oil, 1 teaspoon each of salt and made mustard, and % teaspoon pepper. 
If the salad is ready, add 3 tablespoons of vinegar, and spread it on. 

Cream Dressing. — Rub the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs fine with a spoon, stir 
in a tablespoon of melted butter, % teacup of thick, sweet cream, a saltspoon of 
salt, a dust of cayenne, and vinegar enough to reduce all to a smooth, creamy 
state. Add a little mustard also, if liked, and pour it upon lettuce or other salad 
when ready for serving. 

French Salad Dressing. — Mix 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon salt; then 
mix in 3 tablespoons salad oil, and 1 tablespoon vinegar; mix all well and pour 
over the salad. A teaspoon of finely scraped onion or 34 teaspoon of onion juice 
can be added, if liked. Some people add also 1 teaspoon of made mustard. 
Lemon juice or tarragon vinegar can be used instead of the vinegar, if preferred. 

Mayonnaise Dressing. — Break the yolks of 2 raw eggs in a soup plate, beat 
smooth with a silver fork, and add oil, a few drops at a time, until it begins to 
thicken, when it can be added in larger quantities; but the stirring must be 
kept up constantly, and with a rapid motion. When it grows thick, add a few 
drops of vinegar, beat smooth again, and then add 1 teaspoon of salt, a level salt- 
spoon of mustard, and a dust of cayenne. The vinegar should be added a little 
at a time until 2 tablespoons have been used. The amount of oil depends on the 
quantity of dressing required, but a scant cupful will be an abundance for an 
ordinary salad. Should the mayonnaise curdle, or crack, as it is called, take 
another egg, add oil in small quantities until it thickens, and then stir in the 
curdled mixture, which will soon grow smooth and velvety in appearance. Take 
special pains in hot weather to have both ingredients and utensils ice cold. The 
mayonnaise can be colored a bright red with lobster coral, or green with spinach 
green or chopped parsley. 

Swiss Dressing. — Put 2 ounces of cheese in a mortar, pound it well, add 1 
tablespoon vinegar, a small quantity of salt and pepper, and very gradually dilute 
it with salad oil. 

SALADS. 

String Bean Salad. — String young, green string beans, and cook till tender in 
salted water; then drain, cover with cold water, let stand till cold, drain and dry. 
Serve with or without lettuce, and use a French dressing. Add a little onion 
juice, if liked. 

Beef Salad. — Take the crisp, small center leaves of 2 heads of cabbage lettuce; 
add 3^ ft), cold boiled, fresh beef, cut in small pieces. Add or not, as preferred, 
a tablespoon of chopped sweet Spanish peppers. Serve with a plain salad dress- 



SALADS. 151 

ing. Lamb salad can be made the same way, by using instead of the beef % lb. 
cold roast lamb, cut in small pieces. 

Cabbage Salad. — Chop a cabbage, and add a French, mayonnaise, or boiled 
dressing. 

Cold Slaw. — Take % cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, % tea- 
spoon mixed mustard, butter size of small egg; mix, stir until it boils, and when 
cold pour it over chopped or shaved cabbage. Very nice. (The term "cold-slaw" 
is derived from the Dutch Kohl-slaw, meaning simply cabbage salad.) 

Cream Dressing for Cold Slaw. — Take 2 tablespoons whipped sweet cream, 2 
tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons vinegar. Beat well, and pour over cabbage 
previously cut very fine, and seasoned with salt. 

Cream Slaw. — Chop a head of cabbage fine and sprinkle on a little salt; let it 
stand while you make the cream. Mix well together, and cook slowly until quite 
smooth and creamy, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon 
sugar, % teacup vinegar, % teacup sweet milk or cream; when done, pour over 
the cabbage. After you put it in the dish, sprinkle with pepper. Excellent. If 
kept in a cool place will be nice for 1 or 2 days. 

Hot Slaw. — Chop a head of cabbage and put into the kettle, with a tablespoon 
of lard (or meat fryings) in the bottom, with enough hot water to keep it from 
boiling dry; add a little salt and pepper. When the cabbage is boiled tender, 
beat 1 egg in a teacup % ' u ^ °f vinegar, and then fill the cup with cream (sour 
cream will do as well as sweet); pour it over the hot cabbage, let stand 5 minutes, 
and serve. Will cook in 1 hour. 

Celery Salad. — Wash and wipe % dozen heads of celery. Cut with shears 
in a salad-bowl. Mix the yolk of 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of mustard, a little salt and 
pepper and the juice of 2 lemons with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir well together, 
drop over it 3 ounces of salad oil, then add a spoon of hot water, and pour over 
the celery. 

Chicory and Endive are used also for salads like celery. Endive is a native of China 
and Japan. It resembles sea-kale in flavor, being rather bitter, and it is used for salads and 
soups. It is not so tender as lettuce, but it makes an excellent winter salad. 

Escarole and Monk's-Beard (Barbe de Capucin) belong to the same family as the 
endive. They can be made into salads alone, or mixed with sorrel, lettuce, etc. They make 
good winter salads, and also excellent salads to serve with game. 

Chicken Salad. — Take the meat of 2 large boiled chickens, free it from skin 
and fat and cut in dice; add an equal quantity of celery cut in dice, 3 olives, 
chopped, 2 teaspoons capers; make a dressing of 6 spoons salad oil, 2 tablespoons 
vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt, and a dash of red pepper; pour it over the salad and let 
stand several hours in the ice chest. Then arrange it on a platter in a mound, 
pour on a mayonnaise dressing, and garnish with lettuce, olives, beets and car- 
rots cut in fancy forms. The chicken should be cooked the day before using so 
as to be thoroughly cold. (See "Veal Salad.") 

Chicken Salad, Noi 2. — Take the meat from 1 cold boiled chicken, and 2 tea- 
cups celery; do not chop either, but cut each into dice, and mix. Put 2 teacups 
cream into a sauce-pan and boil; stir in 4 eggs, well beaten, until it becomes like 
thick corn-starch; put the sauce-pan into cold water and stir in % bottle Durkee's 
salad dressing, stirring to keep it from curdling; add vinegar to taste. When cold, 
pour over the chicken and celery. Excellent. 

Crab Salad. — Take the meat of boiled crab, chop it, and mix a mayonnaise 
sauce with it. Clean the shells, put in the mixture, and garnish with parsley or 
cresses and sliced lemon. 



152 SALADS. 

Cucumber Salad.— (1) Peel and slice fresh cucumbers, and let them stand in 
a bowl of water 2 hours, changing the water twice. When it is time to serve 
dinner, drain and chop the cucumbers coarsely with a knife, and add 1 or 2 new 
onions, cut finely. Put in a salad dish, and send to the table without dressing. 
Serve in small salad-plates and send it around the table with salad oil vin- 
egar, salt and pepper. (2) Mix sliced cucumbers and new onions, sliced, and cover 
with a French dressing. 

Egg Salad. — Put into a salad bowl the leaves of a head of lettuce; slice 4 hard- 
boiled eggs and add; mince 12 capers and sprinkle over the eggs, and cover with 
either a French or mayonnaise dressing. 

Fish Salad. — Take any cooked fish which has become cold, remove skin and 
bones, and flake it or cut in pieces, and spread it on lettuce leaves. Cover with 
mayonnaise dressing. Finely picked sardines may be added if desired, and also 
some hard-boiled egg. Salmon is the favorite fish for salads, but almost any other 
will do. The fish can be mixed with cabbage or celery instead of lettuce, if more 
convenient. 

Ham Salad. — Cut cold boiled ham into dice, lean and fat together; mix with 
celery or lettuce and cover with a boiled dressing. s 

Lemon Salad, — Make as directed for orange salad, but add a little lettuce, and 
sprigs of mint or tarragon, if you have it. 

Lettuce Salad. — Lettuce makes the foundation for many excellent salads. Pre- 
pare it as previously directed, and serve it crisp and cold. It can be served (1) 
alone with French or boiled dressing, or (2) mixed with celery cut into dice, and 
with a French dressing, which makes an excellent salad. It goes well (3) mixed 
with sorrel, with a French dressing, or (4) with chives, using the same dressing 
and garnishing with olives, or (5) with pepper-grass and water-cresses mixed, 
using a mayonnaise dressing, and garnishing with radishes. A few nasturtium 
blossoms for a garnish produce a brilliant effect. (6) A bed of lettuce covered 
with sliced cucumbers, and a layer of sliced tomatoes on top, covered with a may- 
onnaise or French dressing, makes a good salad. 

Lamb's Lettuce (also called Cor n-salad or FetUcus) is a small annual plant, often used 
for salads. It comes early in the spring, and although inferior to lettuce, it makes a fairly 
good substitute for it, and a good spring salad. 

Lobster Salad. — It is better to use large lobsters, as there is less waste than 
with small ones. Cut up the meat, and pour on it oil and vinegar in the propor- 
tion of 1 tablespoon of oil to 3 of vinegar, with pepper and salt, and let it stand 
in a cold place for 1 hour at least; this is called "marinating" it, and serves to 
season it. At serving time, drain it from the oil and vinegar not absorbed, put it 
on a bed of lettuce, and cover with a mayonnaise dressing. Garnish it with the 
claws of the lobster. It can be made without going through the marinating 
process, but we think that an improvement. 

Melon Salad. — Put either watermelons or musk melons on ice till very cold; 
then take out the seeds and remove the rind, using only the fully ripe part, cut 
into pieces, put into a bowl with bits of ice, and pour over either a mayonnaise or 
French dressing. 

Nut Salad.— Mix together 1 qt. of shredded lettuce, and 2 cups chopped nuts; 
dress with a little mayonnaise dressing, arrange in fresh lettuce, and garnish with 
more mayonnaise. 

Orange Salad. — Peel the oranges, slice them crossways, take out the seeds, and 
cover with a dressing made in the proportion of 3 spoons of salad oil to 1 spoon 



SALADS. 153 

lemon juice, and add a dash of cayenne; flavor, if desired, with a little grated 
orange rind. Excellent with cold game or roast pork. 

Oyster Salad. -Use the small oysters, and just let them come to boiling in their 
own liquor; skim and drain in a colander, then on a cloth. For a pint of oysters 
add 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 2 of salad oil, with salt and pepper to taste mTx 
we h and set it in the ice-chest. Cut finely a pint of nice w'hfte celery and m x 
with the oystersjust before serving, arrange it on a salad dish, garnish IZTe 
white leaves of the celery and pour over it a pint of mayonnaise dressing 

Potato Salad --Cut cold boiled potatoes in dice and "marinate" in a French 
dressing; chill thoroughly, then arrange in a tasteful manner, and garnish with 
parsley, chopped pickled beets, and hard-boiled eggs, sliced. For a qua of cut 
potatoes, a teaspoon of salt, a saltspoon of pepper, 3 tablespoons of oil and 3 o 
vinegar, are required for the dressing, and 4 hard-boiled eggs. This is a tasteful 
dish of white, yellow, red, and green. tastetul 

Potato Salad with Eggs.-Cut cold potatoes finely, and mix with French 
salad dressing; place on a garnished platter, and cover with slices of hard boiled 
eggs. Good for a luncheon or supper dish in hot weather 

Salmon Salad.-Put the meat of 1 can of salmon in a colander to drain- then 
carefully pick out any bones, skin, or unsightly bits. When well drained put 't 
in a bowl in the ice-chest until time to serve; make a mayonnaise dressing and 
keep that by itself in the ice-chest. Have ready the heart's of n*e ZdZtnoe 

tlTT/T^ Tt r; JUSt b6f0re SerViDg Put a heav ^ bord - of lettuce around 
the salad dish, cut the salmon finely, and place in the center; then pour the 
mayonnaise over the fish. Serve a few of the lettuce leaves with the saLd to 
each person. The water from the lettuce must be thoroughly shaken off or ^ 
will dilute the mayonnaise. Another way is to put 3 stalks of sliced 'celery 

rssintgtS £ *£ * ^ -™! "?»*■ ~* -"-* 

war^o^^ 

preserved. Remove the skin and bones, and pour a little lemon juTce over them 
Lay them on a bed of lettuce, pour a plain French dressing over them and 
garnish with 2 hard-boiled eggs which have been chopped fine 

Tongue Salad.-Chop a nicely cooked tongue fine, then add chopped celerv 
and lettuce and the whites of eggs. Use a mayonnaise dressing * * 

oJZ w a l° ,?? a «:- Boil 3 la ^e ^eet potatoes, and when thoroughly cold 
cut them into half-inch squares; cut into very small pieces 2 stalks of celerv 

VoZ: ™:r%? nV nd pepper ' and pour ° ver it ^^ ^:LT 

Tomato Salad.-(l) Cut ripe tomatoes into slices, remove all the seeds 
sprinkle on a French dressing, let them stand 2 hours on ice Ldthev will t' 
ready to serve. (2) Another way is to peel the toma^ T^Zttl^t 
a spoonful of mayonnaise dressing on each half, and serve 

Veal Salad—Boil the veal until it is tender; let it become quite cold cut it 
quite fine, and use as much chopped celery as veal. Mix, after chopping, a nd 
just before serving pour over it a rich mayonnaise dressing. (When a lar £ e 
^1 bofll :f en , S i lad S aSt ° b6made f ° r a P-ty>»alf the meat may be o 
dSLeneel **" *** " *"* andn ° °» e wi »-er know the 

Vegetable Salads. -Almost any cold vegetable may be used, and this 



is an 



154 SALADS. 

excellent way to utilize the remnants of vegetables left from dinner the day 
before. Take any one alone, or several vegetables mixed, and arrange them 
tastefully (with lettuce if you have it, without if not); cover with a French or 
mayonnaise dressing. Many varieties may thus be made. 

Walnut Salad. — Get the kernels as nearly whole as possible, and let them soak 
2 hours in lemon juice; pick them out without draining and serve on water-cress 
or lettuce, with French dressing. 

Water-cress Salad. — Pick over the leaves and remove bruised or wilted ones; 
if long tear them into 2-inch lengths; if short it is not necessary. Cold boiled 
beets, cut in dice, or chopped onion may be added. Use a French dressing. 
Water-cress makes one of the most wholesome of salads, and is remarkable for the 
amount of mineral matter found in it. The garden cress also makes an excellent 
salad. Cresses can be used alone, or mixed with cucumbers, tomatoes or onions 
for salads. 

Fruit Salad. — Cut bananas, oranges and pineapple in small pieces; arrange 
them in alternate layers in a glass dish, with powdered sugar and grated cocoa- 
nut between each layer. It makes a nice dessert with white cake. 

Various other fruits may also be combined for fruit salads, as strawberries, 
raspberries, currants, peaches, etc., and thus a variety of pleasing combinations 
and flavors can be produced. Exercise your ingenuity in devising new combina- 
tions. 



VEGETABLES, 



An abundance and variety of vegetables are essential to perfect health. They 
furnish the mineral matters, alkalies and acids in which meat is deficient, and 
most of the carbohydrates needed by the system. The following table will show 
the percentage of -the different food elements in various vegetables. For an ex- 
planation of the terms "albumenoids," "carbohydrates," "potential energy" and 
"Calories," see our article elsewhere on the composition of foods. 

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OP POOD ELEMENTS IN DIFFERENT VEGETABLES. 



Asparagus 

Beans, Lima, green . . . 
Beans, string, green.. 

Beans, dried 

Beets 

Cabbage 

Carrots 

Cauliflower 

Cucumber 

Corn, sweet, green 

Corn, sweet, green, can'd 

Egg Plant 

Lettuce 

Onions 

Okra 

Peas, green 

Peas, dried 

Potatoes 

Potatoes, sweet 

Pumpkin 

Rice ... 

Spinach 

Squash 

Turnips 

Tomatoes 



Water. 



94.0 

68.5 
87.2 
12.6 
88.5 
90.5 



96.0 
81.2 
71.8 
92.9 
93.1 
87.6 
87.4 
78.1 
14.3 
78.9 
71.1 
93.4 
12.4 
92.4 
88.1 
89.4 
96.0 



Albu- 
menoids. 



1.8 
7.1 
2.2 

23.1 
1.5 
2.4 
1.1 
1.6 
0.8 
2.8 
3.0 
1.2 
1.6 
1.4 
2.0 
4.4 

22.4 
2.1 
1.5 
0.9 
7.4 
2.1 
0.9 
1.2 
0.8 



Carbohy- 
drates. 
% 



3.3 

22.0 

9.5 

59.2 

8.8 

5.3 

8.9 

5.0 

2.5 

14.2 

22.5 

5.1 

3.7 

10.1 

9.5 

16.1 

58.3 

17.9 

26.0 

4.9 

79.4 

3.1 

10.1 

8.2 

2.5 



Fats. 



0.2 
0.7 
0.4 
2.0 
0.1 
0.4 
0.4 
0.8 
0.2 
1.1 
1.3 
0.3 
0.5 
0.3 
0.4 
0.5 
2.0 
0.1 
0.4 
0.1 
0.4 
0.5 
2 
0.2 
0.4 



Mineral 
Matters. 



0.7 
1.7 
0.7 
3.1 
1.1 
1.4 
1.0 
0.8 
0.5 
0.7 
1.4 
0.5 
1.1 
0.6 
0.7 
0.9 
3.0 
1.0 
1.0 
0.7 
0.4 
1.9 
0.7 
1.0 
0.3 



Potential 

Energy 

inlft. 

Calories. 



105 
570 
235 

1615 
195 
155 
205 
155 
70 
360 
530 
130 
120 
225 
230 
400 

1580 
375 
530 
110 

1630 

120 

215 

185 

80 



The large percentage of water in all the vegetables will be noticed, and also 
the large amount of albumenoids in the dried beans and peas. One great draw- 
back to the use of vegetables is that the percentage of their nutrients which they 
yield to us, as the stomach attempts to digest them, is from 25 to 50 % less than 
that yielded by animal foods. See what we say elsewhere about "Cellulose." We 
digest, however, a rather larger percentage of their starch than of their albumen- 
oid principles. The lack of fat in vegetables should be supplied by using butter, 
or some other form of fat, with them all. A moment's thought will show our 
readers that in arranging a dietary the object is to supply the lack of any ele- 
ment in one article of food, by using with it some other food containing the miss- 
ing element. Although the foods in every-day use thus supplement each other, 
many people do not think of the principle involved. Why does butter go with 
bread? Because the gluten of the bread furnishes the albumenoid element 
needed by the body, while the starch supplies the carbohydrates, but bread itself 
lacks fat, and the butter used supplies that. So meat and potatoes go well 
together, the lean meat supplying the albumenoids, the potato the carbohydrates, 
and the fat or butter furnishes the fats, the 3 together thus supplying the body 
with the 3 great food elements which it needs. 

Vegetables when taken as food are valuable not only for the direct nourishment which 
they afford to the system, but also because they impart to the blood certain constituents 
which are necessary to maintain its highest purity. This has been amply proved by the 
appearance of such blood diseases as scurvy, etc., in circumstances where vegetable food 

(155) 



156 VEGETABLES. 

was not procurable for any length of time. Few people rightly estimate the value of veg- 
etables to the system. One of the chief benefits derived from eating them comes from the 
salts which they contain, while they also introduce into the system some water necessary 
for digestion and assimilation, and afford the benefit of variety in food. It is much to be 
regretted that by the method of cooking vegetables which commonly prevails in this coun- 
try the greater part of their salts are dissolved out by the water in which they are cooked, 
and this water is thrown away, only the vegetable itself being eaten. There seems to be a 
common impression that the water in which many vegetables are boiled is poisonous, but 
this is a most erroneous idea. 

In this connection we quote from Mr. Mattieu Williams: "I must add a few words in 
advocacy of further adoption in this country of the French practice of using as potage (for 
soups, etc.,) the water in which vegetables generally (excepting potatoes) have been boiled. 
When we boil cabbages, turnips, carrots, etc., we dissolve out of them a very large propor- 
tion of their saline constituents; salts which are absolutely necessary for the maintenance 
of health; salts without which we become victims of gout, rheumatism, lumbago, neuralgia, 
gravel, and all the ills that human flesh with a lithic acid diathesis is heir to; i. e., about 
the most painful series of all its inheritances." To which we may add the recommendation 
to save vegetable broth, and utilize it for soup, sauce, etc. A rich soup can be made from 
the water in which potatoes have been boiled (if without their skins) by mashing2 or 3, and 
adding a little thickening and seasoning and a little butter. The juices of other vegetables 
like cabbage, turnips, celery, and most others, are palatable and work well into soups. 
Onions are an exception; they should be used sparingly as flavoring for those who like 
them, but ^a dish of boiled onions served with the water they are boiled in, causes dis- 
tressing flatulence often. They can be parboiled, the water changed once, and then eaten 
by most people without unpleasant digestive disorders. 

All green vegetables are best when they are grown quickly, in which case they 
have less woody fibre. All green vegetables need to be eaten fresh. When fresh, 
vegetables will snap crisply. Peas picked in the early morning can be cooked the 
same day in about % the time needed if they are kept 1 or 2 days longer, and their 
flavor is much better. Ears of green corn that are just filled, will, if plunged into 
boiling water as soon as gathered, cook in 10 minutes, or perhaps less, and if kept 
1 or 2 days twice as much time will be needed, and they will not then be as 
tender and fine flavored. 

Very few vegetables are roasted; they are generally boiled. Those which con- 
tain saccharine matter, such as carrots, beetroot, parsnips, etc., are best cooked 
by steam, as boiling water dissolves out a large quantity of their nutritious ingre- 
dients. Vegetables, however, which contain much starch, as a rule, are best 
boiled, as by boiling the granules of the starch are ruptured and partially dis- 
solved, and any volatile oils which may be present are expelled, as well as the con- 
fined air. We elsewhere explain how much cooking adds to the digestibility of 
starch. 

All vegetables, with a few exceptions, should be put first into boiling water 
which contains salt in the proportion of an even teaspoon to every 2 qts. of water; 
the exceptions are old, dry, and partly dried vegetables, such as peas, beans of all 
kinds, and wilted vegetables; the latter had better be thrown away if they do not 
become crisp after standing a few hours in cold water. 

How to Boil Vegetables. — While in boiling meat, the great point is not to have 
the water boil, but to have it simmer instead, the great point in boiling vegetables 
is not to let the boiling stop. Even if the boiling water could be raised above 212°, 
the vegetable would be rather improved than injured thereby. Have plenty of 
water, especially for greens of all kinds. Choose a sufficiently large kettle, and 
get it % full of boiling water in ample time; then the water will come to a boil 
more quickly when the vegetables are thrown in, for when the cold vegetables aro 
first put in they will check the boiling. The quicker vegetables boil the greener 
they will be, and remember that freshly-gathered vegetables do not require as 
long boiling as those which have been long kept. Experience will best tell you 
when the vegetables are sufficiently cooked. The rule should be to cook them 
until they are soft and tender, but no longer, because the starch cells having then 
burst, they will begin to absorb water, and the vegetable will become soggy, and 
loose flavor as well. If not sufficiently done they are indigestible, and if left too 
long they become soggy. As soon as they are done, take them out and serve 
them. 

Remember then, that there is a right and a wrong way to boil vegetables. 
The essentials of the right way are: (1) to put them into boiling water, which is 
slightly salted; (2) have plenty of it ; (3) do not let the boiling stop until they 
are done; (4) take them out as soon as they are done. The wrong way is the 
opposite of this — it is to use little water, let it simmer without really boiling, and 
to leave the vegetables in too long. If you will try the 2 methods once, the 



VEGETABLES. 157 

difference in the results and the superiority of the first method will be apparent. 
Asparagus, cauliflower and peas, should boil, but the water should not bubble, as 
that tosses them around and breaks them. 

Overcoming the Odor of Boiling. — Various plans have been devised to mit- 
igate the unpleasant odor caused by many vegetables while cooking. (1) Wrap 
a piece of bread about the size of a lemon in a cloth, and drop it in the kettle at 
the start; it will absorb the odor. (2) A lump of charcoal treated in the same 
way will absorb the odor. (3) Fold a towel to 3 or 4 thicknesses and lay over 
the kettle. (4) A piece of red pepper, % inch in diameter, dropped in at the 
start, is used by some cooks. The essential oils are dissolved out of the vegetable 
while cooking, and from this oil the odor comes. If the water is changed once 
or twice while the vegetable is cooking, it will be an advantage, but be sure the 
fresh water is boiling hot when put in. Changing the water while cooking also 
gets rid of some unwholesome sulphuric gases given out by cabbage and onion. 

Effect of Different Waters. — Many cooks do not understand the different 
effects produced by hard and soft water; peas and beans especially should be 
cooked in soft water if possible to obtain it (see "Rain Water Cisterns") as hard 
water containing lime and gypsum harden vegetable casein, making them less 
digestible. With some vegetables, soft water extracts most of their flavor and salts, 
but the addition of a little salt partially remedies this. Great care should be 

The chief benefit derived from boiling vegetables is that boiling bursts the 
nearly indigestible cellulose sheaths which cover the starch granules (like the 
shell on an egg); this lets out the starch, which is then readily attacked by the 
digestive fluids, and turned into sugar. 

Hints. — Be very careful to wash vegetables thoroughly, and examine them for 
insects. Spinach should be allowed to float on water in a deep vessel, and then 
lifted out with the hand and placed in deep water in another vessel, in order to 
free it from sand. Any vegetables which are peeled should be thrown into cold 
water until wanted for cooking, to prevent their turning color. When possible, 
it is much better to boil the different vegetables by themselves; also, when such 
vegetables as cabbage, carrots, beets, onions, potatoes, parsnips or turnips are 
boiled with meat, the flavor of both the meat and the vegetable is injured. Not 
only this, but it is also better to store vegetables separately. Certainly the strong 
scented vegetables, like onions, leeks and cabbage, should be kept apart, for 
delicate vegetables will be spoiled in a short time, if near the strongly scented 
ones. 

Vegetables are much nicer boiled in slightly salted water, and then, when 
seasoned with butter, they are usually salted sufficiently for most persons; the 
water being salted reaches a higher temperature before boiling, and secures bet- 
ter cookery of the vegetables. It is important that all vegetables should go to 
the table as hot as possible, and 2 or 3 two-qt. tin basins are good to keep them in 
until ready to put them on the table; or they may, if more convenient, be kept in 
the kettles they were boiled in. Have the vegetable dishes (that will not bear 
standing on the back of the range to keep hot) standing ready on a table with hot 
water in them. For common use, heavy white nappies are good for dishing up 
vegetables, as they will bear standing on the back of the range, or in the edge of 
the oven, with the door open. 

In dishing up vegetables, drain them thoroughly from the water. Vegetables 
which contain much sugar, like beets, turnips, squash, pumpkins, etc., especially 
if they are not of the best quality, are improved by the addition of a little sugar — 
a fact overlooked by many cooks. Boiling deprives them of part of their sweet- 
ness, so add a little. Vegetables, like lettuce and cabbage, which contain potash 
salts, are best eaten with a mild acid, like vinegar. 

When, by reason of long keeping, the freshness of salads, greens, roots, etc., 
has been somewhat lost, it may bt restored by putting the stems and roots in cold 
fresh water for 1 or 2 hours before dressing them, but the leaves should not be 
immersed, as that injures them. 

In winter, or after long keeping, tuberous vegetables like carrots, turnips, po- 
tatoes, etc., become wilted, and their flavor impaired; after peeling and slicing, let 
them stand in cold water for several hours before cooking them, and it will restore 
their freshness. 

To shell beans easily, pour upon the pods a quantity of scalding water, and 
the beans will slip out very readily. 



158 VEGETABLES. 

In boiling suet dumplings, to be served with meat, like a vegetable, put a 
plate at the bottom of the kettle, as, when first put in, they will sink, and some- 
times stick at the bottom of the kettle and burn. When they swell with boiling, 
they get light and float. Puddings are always boiled in a cloth. 

ARTICHOKES. 

Jerusalem Artichokes. — Wash the roots thoroughly, scrape off the skin, cut 
off 1 end flat; and leave the other pointed. Boil until soft, in water containing 
a little salt, and a few drops of vinegar. Cook until soft, but do not leave longer, 
or they will become hard again. Take them up carefully, put them in the vegeta- 
ble dish, and pour over them scalded cream, or serve with a white sauce. They 
can also be chopped coarsely and served as a salad, with a salad dressing. 

Globe Artichokes. — Cut off the outside leaves, trim away the lower ones, and 
boil in salted water containing a few drops of vinegar; boil about 1 hour, drain, 
take out the choke, and serve with drawn butter poured over them. 

French Artichokes, Fried. — Wash and trim the artichoke heads, and cut them 
into thin slices; place in cold water with a little salt and vinegar added; this 
should be done 15 or 20 minutes before frying them. Drain, and wipe them dry; 
make a batter with 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of salad oil, and 2 tablespoons of flour, 
seasoned with salt and pepper; mix the sliced artichoke thoroughly with the 
batter, then fry in hot fat, being careful that the artichoke is cooked through as 
well as browned. 

Canned Artichokes should be placed in ice-cold water for 15 minutes before 
serving them. The dressing to accompany them is made by mixing 2 large spoons 
of vinegar with 1 of chopped parsley, a little salt and pepper, and 8 spoons of good 
salad oil. 

Artichokes.— There are two vegetables called by this name, both belonging to the 
order Compositce. The Jerusalem artichoke, (Helianthus tuberosus) is said to be a native of 
Brazil, but has long been naturalized in this country. Its name is a corruption of the 
Italian girasolei (sunflower). The flowers are like the common sunflower, only smaller, and 
the roots, something like potatoes in shape and size, are cooked as a vegetable, and some- 
times used for pickles. This plant is perennial, and when once planted in a rich soil can 
be dug early every spring; the small roots left in the ground will keep the crop growing 
year after year. 

The globe, or French artichoke, so called (Cynara Scolymus) is a native of Asia, but is 
naturalised in this country. The flowerbuds and upper part of the stalks are used for a 
vegetable at table, and are cultivated from suckers placed in rows 3 feet apart. The Car- 
doon (Cynara Cardunculus) is a native of southern Europe, and much resembles the arti- 
choke. It has purple flowers, and is grown, blanched, and eaten like celery. Artichokes 
contain 80% of water; 2 of albumenoids; 16% carbohydrates; 0.5% fats; 1% mineral matters. 

ASPARAGUS. 

A la Francaise. — Wash and boil the asparagus until tender; drain them, cut 
off the heads and about 2 inches of the white part of the stalks; mince them with 
a knife, and mix them with a small onion cut finely; add the yolk of an egg well 
beaten, with salt and pepper to taste; make it hot in a stew-pan, and dish it up 
on a platter, with nicely browned, buttered toast. 

Buttered. — Pour boiling water over a bunch of asparagus, then untie the 
bundle and lay it in a large frying-pan; cover with boiling water, sprinkle on a 
very little salt, cover, and cook 20 or 30 minutes — do not cook until the heads 
break off. When done, pour off the water, lift the pieces carefully by the hard 
end of the stem, lay them in a flat vegetable dish, place bits of butter on the 
asparagus, set in the oven until the butter is melted, and send to the table. 

■ Creamed. — Wash and cut asparagus in inch pieces until the hard part of the 
stem is reached, stew 15 minutes in slightly salted water; then drain in a colan- 
der. Make a rich cream sauce and pour over. Or use drawn butter. 

Steamed. — There is another method of boiling asparagus, rarely practised by 



VEGETABLES. 159 

American cooks. It is to take the stouter varieties, cut them of exactly equal 
lengths, and stand them on end in a deep sauce-pan, with the heads projecting 
about 2 inches out of the water; then cook 30 to 40 minutes. By this plan at least 
% more of the stalk will be rendered delicious, while the head will . be properly 
cooked by the steam. Then season, and serve. This is especially adapted to the 
"giant" and stouter varieties. 

Asparagus is a native of Europe, and is sometimes vulgarly called sparrowgrass. It is 
wholesome, but not very nutritious, and has been used in medicine, being a diuretic, and 
aperient. The cellular tissue contains a substance similar to sago. Its juice is composed 
of a peculiar crystallizable principle called asparagin, albumen, mannite, malic acid and 
some salts. 

To avoid getting the woody white part, which is not made tender by boiling, asparagus 
when gathered can be snapped off, instead of cutting it. 

BEANS. 

Shelled.— Shell, wash and boil until tender, adding salt after they have boiled 
about 10 minutes. If possible, always cook them in soft water. They should 
boil at least an hour. Season with salt and butter. Add hot cream to Lima or 
any white beans. 

French Beans. — Soak them over night, then parboil them until the skins 
loosen, change the water, and when they are cool, rub off all the skins; put them 
back in the pot with fresh water to just cover them, and boil until they begin to 
break in pieces; then drain, sprinkle a little salt and pepper over them, and bits 
of butter. Set the dish in the oven to get hot; then send to the table. 

String Beans. — The bean pods should be tender enough to snap off short 
when bent. Pull off the string on each side, and break in pieces % inch long. 
Boil in slightly salted water. A few thin slices of salt pork can be put in or not, 
as desired. It takes a full hour to cook them well, and may take 3 with some 
varieties. Drain, and season with butter and pepper, or butter and cream, and a 
little more salt if needed. It is a good plan to change the water once while they 
are boiling, as that gets rid of part of an unwholesome gas which they yield in 
boiling. 

Delicious Baked Beans. — Take about 3 pints of the small white beans, wash, 
and then soak them over night. Do not boil, but put at once in the baking dish 
and add a piece of salt pork that has been scalded, or if beef is preferred, use a 
piece of the brisket. Add salt, and a little pepper, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of 
molasses. Place in the oven, with plenty of water to cover, early in the morning, 
and let cook all day. Do not allow them to cook dry. A teaspoon of mustard is 
sometimes added with the molasses; it adds to both the flavor and wholesome- 
ness of the beans when done. 

New England Baked Beans. — Pick over and wash, 1 pint of beans, put them 
into 2 quarts of cold water and let them stand over night. The following morn- 
ing drain off all the water, and put them into an earthen bean pot — which comes 
for this purpose— with 2 tablespoons of molasses, a teaspoon of salt, a little 
pepper, half a pound salt pork — quite fat — and fill the pot up with boiling water 
and bake from 8 to 10 hours in good steady oven; keep the pot well filled with 
water, till 2 hours before serving, and then allow it to simmer away one-half at 
least. You will find them delicious if directions are strictly followed. 

Beans are supposed to be a native of the East, particularly of Egypt, but have been 
known in Europe from time immemorial, having, in all probability, been introduced by the 
Romans. The commondwarf kidney bean, erroneously called the French bean, is a tender 
annual, a native of India, and was introduced into Europe in 1597, or perhaps earlier. All 
varieties of the bean are wholesome and nutritious, but are not suitable to persons with 
delicate stomachs or of sedentary habits. They are best eaten with fatty or starchy foods, 
like bacon or rice. If bean flour was to be had as wheat flour is, a much larger proportion 
of the nutrient parts of beans could be assimilated, experiment having shown that 91% of 



160 VEGETABLES. 

bean flour was digested, and only i0% of the nutritive parts were assimilated as ordinarily 
prepared. If beans are well cooked and passed through a sieve, it will divest them of their 
indigestible skins, or cellulose. 

The pulses, which include lentils, beans and peas, are among the most nourishing of 
foods. Owing to the large amount of nitrogenous matter which they contain, they should 
be accompanied, when eaten, with articles in which fat and starch abound. The nutritive 
value of these articles is somewhat deteriorated Dy theifact that they are rather difficult of 
digestion. They sometimes occasion flatulence, and have a stimulating, heating effect on 
the system. They should never be eaten without being thoroughly cooked. Green peas 
are more digestible but less nourishing than dried, which require prolonged boiling to 
make them digestible. Dried peas should always be boiled in soft water, for the longer 
they are boiled in hard water, the harder they become. A little bicarbonate of soda, 
(cooking soda) may be added to the water in which dried peas and beans are cooked, as 
this assists in softening the legumen. It may also be added to stale green peas, but it 
impairs the color of fresh, tender, green peas and beans, and is not needed for softening 
purposes. 

BEETS. 

Boiled. — These should be washed clean, and the tops and tips cut closely, but 
do not peel them nor prick the skin, as the juice will then escape and injure both 
the color and flavor. Cook until tender in boiling water. Young beets will cook in 
about an hour; fully grown ones take 2 to 4 hours; the very largest are not suit- 
able for the table, as they are apt to be tough and tasteless. When done, put in 
cold water and rub off the rind; then slice, put in a vegetable dish, and cover 
with vinegar; or serve with a butter or white sauce. For a "boiled dinner" cook 
them by themselves; they are peeled after cooking, cut in slices, and served with- 
out dressing. They are also cut in fancy pieces and used to garnish various 
dishes. They are also used for salads mixed with other vegetables. 

Creamed Beets. — When boiled in unsalted water until tender, rub off the skins 
with a wet towel, and serve at once in hot cream sauce, which can be made while 
they are boiling. (See "Cream Sauce.") 

Beet Greens. — Beet greens are boiled whole, the beets with the tops, while they 

are tender. Put into slightly salted boiling water, and boil for an hour. When 

the little beets are done, the tops are done also. Sometimes thin slices of salt 

pork are cooked with them. When done, take up into a colander and drain well, 

cut through several times with a knife, so that they can be served with a spoon, 

and send to the table in a vegetable dish. They are usually eaten with vinegar. 

If no pork is boiled with them, they can be seasoned with a little butter, and a 

very little vinegar, about a tablespoon to a medium-sized vegetable dish. They 

can be served hot or cold. 

The beet root is a native of the shores of the Mediterranean. It is very wholesome 
and nutritious, and is chiefly characterized by the large amount of starch, sugar, and alka- 
line salts which it contains. 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 

Boiled. — Pick off all dead or discolored leaves, and soak in cold salted water 1 
hour before cooking; then put them in boiling water containing a little salt and 
soda, the latter to preserve their green color; leave the kettle uncovered, and boil 
briskly until tender. Drain and send to the table at once, as they cool quickly. 
Serve with melted butter or maitre d'hotel sauce. 

Sauted. — Takel qt. of sprouts, remove loose, hanging leaves, and soak ^ hour 

in cold water; then wash and boil % hour in 2 qts. of water, adding 1 teaspoon of 

salt, after the first 10 minutes; then drain off all the water, and add 3 tablespoons 

of butter, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of flour, }£ teaspoon of pepper, and 1 

teaspoon of salt; shake the pan over the fire 3 or 1 minutes, or until the sprouts 

are slightly colored. Serve at once in a warm dish. 

Brussels Sprouts is a variety of the cabbage, and is so named because the seed was ob- 
tained from Belgium in former times. It grows from 3 to 5 feet in height, the stalk ter- 
minating in a large, cabbage-like head, and the stem being covered with the sprouts. 

CABBAGE. 

Baked. — Boil a firm white cabbage for 15 minutes, changing the water once; 



VEGETABLES. 161 

drain and set aside until cold; then chop finely, and add2 beaten eggs, butter the 
size of an egg, pepper and salt to taste; stir all together and bake in a buttered 
pudding-dish until brown. This is economical, good and nourishing. It is some- 
times covered with bread-crumbs, moistened with white sauce, and then baked. 

Boiled. — Cut it in quarters, soak 30 minutes in salted water; then boil rapidly, 
uncovered, until tender, but no longer, in slightly salted water; push it down 
with a spoon as it rises above the water; it should boil in about 25 to 30 minutes. 
When done, take it up, drain, put it in a vegetable dish, and put bits of butter 
over it with a little salt. Remember that the secret of boiling cabbage is to boil 
it rapidly, uncovered, and in plenty of water, and boil until tender, but no longer. 
If boiled longer it becomes wilted, yellow, and looses flavor. Try cabbage thus 
cooked and see how much better it is than when cooked in the old way. If the 
Water it is boiled in is not very soft, add to each 4 quarts of water 1 saltspoon of 
baking soda, but no more. 

Fried. — Chop cold white cabbage quite fine; stir in some melted butter to 
taste, pepper and salt, and 4 tablespoons of milk or cream; after it is heated 
through add 1 or 2 well-beaten eggs, according to quantity of cabbage; then turn 
the mixture into a well-buttered spider, and fry about 5 minutes, or until a light 
brown on the under side. Place a hot dish over the pan, which must be reversed 
when turned out to serve. 

Cabbage and Milk. — Cut the cabbage into very fine slices, take out the coarser 
veins carefully; put it in a tin sauce-pan, over a slow fire, add milk enough to 
cover entirely, and simmer very slowly 2 hours. Grate some nutmeg over it be- 
fore serving, and add a good sized lump of butter. Thus cooked its coarseness 
disappears, and it almost equals cauliflower. Very few people know how good it 
is thus prepared. 

The botanical order, Cruciferce, is a most important one, in furnishing various nitro- 
genous, and therefore highly nutritious dishes for our use; cabbage, cale, cauliflower, 
brocoli, Brussels sprouts, turnips, all belong to this order. For salads and relishes we have 
cresses : pepper-grass, scurvy-grass, wild pepper-root, radishes, horseradish and cardamine. 
Cabbage contains 90% of water, and is more wholesome than nourishing. Ite tendency is to 



purify the blood, and it is a particularly serviceable in cases of skin disease, but should be 
idee" \ 

jpe 
than when cooked. Cabbage and cauliflower contain more gluten than other vegetables, 



avoided by all who are subject to flatulence and diarrhoea. It is long in digesting, and is 
best fitted for robust and active persons. Cabbage eaten raw as a salad is more wholesome 



and for that reason they should be eaten with fatty foods. A mild acid, like vinegar, aids 
their digestion. 

A Hint.— The young white leaves of a white-hearted cabbage chopped fine, are a fairly 
good substitute for lettuce when the latter is scarce. 

CARROTS. 

Boiled. — Wash, scrape, not pare, cut into strips, barely cover with boiling 
water, and as soon as they begin to boil put in a little butter; as soon as tender 
add some minced parsley and serve. They need to boil longer than most vegeta- 
bles. They are often boiled with corned beef. 

Another way is to cut, lengthwise, boil until soft and slice thin. Put in sauce- 
pan with 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of milk. Season with salt, pepper and 
a little sugar; stew 15 minutes and serve. 

Carrots With Cream. — Cut the carrots in thin slices; boil until almost tender 
in water; then pour the water off and add butter; fry them a little; then add a few 
spoonfuls of cream; season with salt and pepper and serve very hot. Excellent. 

Carrots grow in all parts of the globe. They are one of the most important vegetables 
used in domestic cookery, and their flavor renders them valuable in soups, stews and 
sauces, but they are not particularly nourishing as it requires 2 B>s. of carrots to produce 1 
oz. of the nitrogenous substance of muscle and flesh. They contain pectine (a gelatinous 
substance) instead of starch, and hence soups containing them become gelatinous when 
cold. For 1 part of flesh-formers they contain 10 of heat-givers. 
11 



162 VEGETABLES. 

CAULIFLOWER. 

Boiled. — Cut the stem where it begins to branch, place it, head down, in cold 
salted water for an hour; this will take out hidden insects if there are any; rinse 
it up and down several times. Put in a kettle with enough slightly salted boiling 
water to cover, and boil till tender. Do not let the water bubble and boil so 
violently as to make the cauliflower jump ..about, as that will break it. It is 
sometimes tied in a muslin bag; if not, skim the water. When done, put it in a 
colander to drain well, and at the same time keep it hot. Then cut it coarsely 
with a knife, put it in a vegetable dish, put a few lumps of butter over it, and 
send to the table. Or instead of the butter pour over either a bechamel, Hol- 
landaise or cream sauce. It is used also for garnishing chicken or sweetbreads, or 
for salads. 

Baked. — Boil as directed above. Then put in a baking-dish, pour over a thick 

drawn butter sauce, sprinkle with bread crumbs, put in the oven and bake until 

brown. Sprinkle on grated cheese, also, before baking, if desired. 

Cauliflower and Brocoli are only forms of the wild cabbage in its cultivated state; 
the white and purple brocoli are only varieties of the cauliflower. Cauliflower has been 
known since the times of the Greeks and Romans. It is a wholesome, but not particularly 
nourishing, article of food; it is difficult of digestion, and ought to be avoided by those who 
have delicate stomachs, but, on the whole, it is less indigestible and richer in flesh-formers 
than cabbage. 

CELERY. 

Many people throw away the outside green stalks of celery, not knowing that 
it makes a very savory dish when stewed. Take all the fine white stalks, wash 
well and serve; the remainder break into short pieces, pulling off all the stringy 
outside. Put the pieces in a stew-pan, cover well with boiling water, and boil % 
hour. Make a cream or drawn butter sauce, pour it over the celery, and serve. 

Baked. — Take a qt. of veal stock, and, having parboiled a proper amount of 
the stalks, put them into a baking-dish. Rub together 2 spoonfuls of butter and 
2 of flour, smoothly, then beat in the yolks of 3 eggs, and stir these into the veal 
broth, and pour it over the celery. Lastly, cover the top with finely grated 
bread crumbs, and then with grated cheese. Bake 10 minutes in a quick oven. 
This is one of the most delicious forms in which celery can be put upon the table. 

Fried. — After cutting it into inch lengths, and boiling till tender in slightly 

salted water, dip the pieces in fritter batter and fry in smoking hot fat. Garnish 

with parsley, and serve with tomato sauce. Or sprinkle the pieces with salt and 

nutmeg; then egg and bread-crumb them and fry the same way; drain on a sieve 

and serve on a napkin. 

Celery grows wild nearly all over Europe, growing chiefly in ditches and marshes near 
the sea, and when wild is called >Smallaye . Smallage was first cultivated by Italian gardeners 
and theTesult of their labors was the production of 2plants, Celery and Celeriac. The latter 
variety (often, also, called German or knob celery) is turnip-shaped, and large, and is ex- 
tensively used by the Germans, who prefer it to the variety we commonly use. In its raw 
state, it is not suited to persons of weak stomachs, but is more easily digested when cooked. 
Celery has medicinal properties, and is used as a corrector of bilious conditions, and as a 
tonic for the nervous system. It contains about 93 per cent, of water, 1 of albumen, 2 of 
sugar, 1 of mineral matter, and 2 of starch, etc. 

COI.CANNON. 

Take equal parts of cold cabbage and cold potatoes; cut all together 
well, with a knife; fry salt-pork, and when the pork is crisp, put the cab- 
bage and potato into the fat; season with pepper, and a little more salt, if needed; 
cover closely with a plate and let it steam in the pan for % hour. Do not stir it 
until you take it up, then stir all together, and serve hot, with the pieces of crisp 
pork around the edge of the platter. A little onion may be added to this if liked. 

CORN. 

Boiled. — Green corn when in proper condition for boiling should be well filled 



VEGETABLES. 163 

out, but still in the milk, so that it will exude freely when pressed with the nail. 
It should be put when freshly gathered into slightly salted boiling water, and as 
soon as its milk thickens, and the raw taste is gone, it should be taken up, as 
longer cooking hardens it and injures its flavor. Corn for fritters, puddings, 
etc., may be a trifle older, but never out of the milk. 

To cut corn from the cob the best way is to stand it on the small end, and 
with a sharp knife cut off about half the kernel; then with the back of the knife 
press and scrape out the remainder with a downward stroke. If scraped with 
the sharp edge it will carry many of the hulls with it, and they are not wanted. 
This is the best method of cutting off corn for canning or any purpose. 

Dried Corn. — Select corn that is right for boiling, and boil 5 minutes in 
slightly salted water; then cut and scrape from the cob as above, and dry in the 
oven in shallow pans or on plates. Pack in paper bags, and hang in a dry place 
or it will mold. It sours easily, and the drying process should not be long. To 
use it, soak over night, and then cook like green corn. Season with butter, 
cream, pepper and salt to taste, and serve. 

Baked Corn. — Take 48 full ears of sweet corn, cut and scrape from the ears as 
above, and then pound in a mortar; add (according to the juiciness of the corn) 
3 or 4 cups of milk, 4 well beaten eggs, % teacup butter, the same of flour rubbed 
fine in a little milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and salt to taste. Pour into a well 
greased earthen dish, bake 2 hours till browned on top, and place on the table 
hot. Eat with plenty of fresh butter. 

Corn Chowder. — Take 1 can of corn, or the same amount of green corn cut 
from the cob, 2 oz. pork fried brown and chopped, 6 potatoes sliced thin, 1% 
quarts water; cook until the potatoes are done; then add 2 cups milk, and butter 
and salt to taste. 

Escaloped Corn. — Cut corn from the cob, spread a layer in a basin, season, put 
on a layer of sliced tomatoes, season, and so on with alternate layers, seasoning 
each layer; then fill the dish with rich milk in which a little soda is dissolved, 
and bake 1 hour. 

Fried Corn. —Select roasting ears, cut the corn from the cob, add salt and 
pepper, put it in a large pie-tin containing hot butter, set where it will cook 
slowly, stirring it often. If it should stick to the pan add a very little water, but 
not otherwise. 

Corn Oysters. — Cut the corn from 6 ears, add to it 1 well beaten egg, 1 table- 
spoon of sweet milk, a little salt, and then flour enough to make a pretty stiff 
batter; drop a spoonful at a time into smoking hot fat, and fry a delicate brown. 

Green Corn Pudding. — Take the pulp from 2 doz. ears of corn, 1% quarts of 
new milk, 2 crackers rolled fine, 3 eggs, 2 teacups sugar, and a little salt. Mix the 
crackers with the milk, then put in the corn and other ingredients; bake slowly 
2% hours. Serve warm with butter and pepper. 

Corn Souffle. — Take 2 cups of canned corn, 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, salt to taste. 
Beat the eggs until very light; add the other ingredients; put the mixture in a 
buttered pudding-dish, and bake about 40 minutes. 

Stewed Corn. — Cut young corn from the ear, put it in a basin, cover it with 
milk, and cook % hour, stirring it frequently; then season to taste, with butter, 
pepper and salt, add some rich cream in which a little corn-starch is stirred, and 
serve. 

Succotash. — Boil or steam the corn and cut it from the cob; allow 2 cups corn 



164 VEGETABLES. 

for 1 cup beans. Any good, fresh, shelled beans may be used; they should be 
boiled by themselves, in slightly salted water, until they begin to break; then 
drain them in the colander, mix them with the corn, and season to taste, with 
cream, butter, pepper and salt. 

Indian corn is a native of America, where it was cultivated by the aborigines before 
the discovery of America by Columbus. There are many varieties of the plant, and the 
grains vary in color, but the yellow is the most common. Although it is deficient in gluten 
it is richer than other grains in oily and fatty matter; but the constituent elements of 
the different varieties vary a good deal. It is highly nutritious, and rivals rice and sugar 
cane in its importance to the human family. It is a very important article of consumption 
alike for man and beast. Owing to its lack of gluten it is not sufficiently sticky to hold 
together well, and so does not make good bread. Oornmeal is not suitable for an exclusive 
diet, but it makes a very valuable addition to our food resources, and is more fattening 
than wheat flour. 

CUCUMBERS. 

These are usually served raw, cut in slices, and served with pepper, salt and 
vinegar, and onions are sometimes added. Three or 4 hours before serving they 
should be peeled, sliced and placed in a large bowl of water to stand 1 or 2 hours; 
then the water should be poured off, and fresh, cold water added, and just before 
sending to the table, the water should be changed again. Serve in salad dishes, 
and send around with them salt, black pepper, vinegar and oil, to be added by 
each person as preferred. Thus served, they are not so likely to prove indigesti- 
ble as when served, as they sometimes are, by slicing wilted cucumbers a few 
minutes before a meal, sending to the table in the first water they are placed in, 
and strong vinegar and salt added to that, which causes them to wilt still more; 
served in the latter way, it is no wonder that people say, "I cannot eat cucumbers 
— they always distress me." 

Boiled. — After paring the cucumbers, and slicing about % inch thick, boil 
them about 12 minutes in slightly salted water, containing a little vinegar. Serve 
with drawn butter or Hollandaise sauce. 

Fried. — Peel and slice them, and soak in cold water an hour; this takes out 
the gummy qualities of the plant; then drain, and dry the slices on a cloth; dip 
the pieces in egg, then in flour, and fry a delicate brown in salt pork gravy. 

Stewed. — Peel and slice fresh young cucumbers, and soak them an hour in cold 

water; then put them in a stew-pan with just sufficient water to cover them, and 

let them boil until soft; then take off the cover, to let them dry down a little, 

dredge in a little flour, to thicken the water they were stewed in, add a piece of 

butter, with seasoning of salt and pepper. Sweet cream can be used instead of 

butter, if one has it, and it is much better. 

The cucumber is a native of Asia, and it has been cultivated from very early times. It 
is not very nutritious, and, generally speaking, it is not suited to weak stomachs, as it is 
indigestible and disagrees with many when eaten raw, but when stewed, it is light and 
wholesome. It contains about 96 per cent, of water, some grape sugar, and a little volatile 
flavoring matter. 

EGG PLANT. 

Baked. — Pare, slice and boil till tender, in slightly salted water; then drain, 
mash, and add bread crumbs soaked in milk, and season with salt, pepper, a little 
butter and minced parsley; beat together, put into a buttered baking-dish, 
sprinkle bread crumbs on top, and bake a nice brown. 

Fried.— Cut in slices without paring, sprinkle on salt, pile them up, and 

weight them with a flat-iron or other weight; let stand about an hour and it will 

squeeze out much of their bitter flavor; rinse them off in cold water, drain, dip ir» 

cracker or bread crumbs, then in beaten egg, then in crumbs again, and fry brown 

in a frying-pan. It is sometimes dipped in batter and then fried. 

Egg plant belongs to the order Solanacece, which includes also tobacco and potatoes. 
All varieties of this order contain a bitter, more or less poisonous juice. The egg plant is 



VEGETABLES. 165 

indigenous to the East Indies. There are several varieties, one of which is the Dead Sea 
apple. 

ENDIVE AND SUCCORY. 

Stewed Endive. — Wash, and free 6 heads of endive thoroughly from insects, 
remove the green part of the leaves, and put it into boiling water slightly salted. 
Let it remain for 10 minutes; then take it out, drain until there is no water re- 
maining, and chop it very fine. Put it into a stew-pan with 1 pint of broth; add 
a little salt, and a lump of sugar, and boil until the endive is perfectly tender. 
When done, which may be ascertained by squeezing a piece between the thumb 
and finger, add a thickening of butter and flour, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice; 
let the sauce boil up, and serve. 

Endive is said to be a native of China and Japan. It has long been cultivated as a gar- 
den vegetable, and used for salads and soups. It is slightly narcotic, and has a bitter tasto, 
on account of which some people dislike it very much while those who like it call it a fine 
bitter. 

The Succory or Chicory belongs to the same order (the Composites) and the leaves are 
blanched and used for salads, while the root is used to adulterate coffee. 

GREENS. 

Dandelions are most commonly used for greens, either alone or mixed with other 
herbs, as plantain, young milk-weeds, scurvy-grass, beet-tops, horseradish tops, 
and the young shoots of poke or gorget; the roots of the latter plant are a violent 
cathartic, and should never be used. Wash and examine all herbs used for greens, 
and then boil them till tender in slightly salted water. A little baking soda 
added to the water in which greens are cooked will preserve their color, and it 
also softens the cellulose. Salt pork is commonly boiled with them, but they are 
rather more wholesome boiled without it. When done, drain them in a colander, 
and while draining cut them through and through in every way, to facilitate serving 
them; then put them on a platter, season with butter and salt, and send vinegar 
around with them. If salt pork is boiled with them, slice it, and use it to garnish 
the greens instead of the butter. Greens are usually eaten in the spring, and are 
chiefly valuable for their alkaline salts and water. 

EOHLBABI. 

Peel, cut it in two, and then slice thin; put into salted water, parboil, and then 

drain; then stew it in some weak broth; when nearly done, shred some of the 

green leaves growing at the top, and add them; they will tinge it a light green. 

When tender, drain out the kohlrabi. Make a bechamel sauce with the liquid in 

which it cooked, pour it over the vegetable, let it get hot, and serve. 

Kohlrabi is a cultivated variety of the cabbage, distinguished by the swelling in a 
globular form of that part of the stem which is just above the ground. This protuberance 
is the part used, its uses being similar to the turnip. It is only fit to use when young, being 
then wholesome, nutritious and palatable; later it contains much indigestible fibrous mat- 
ter. It is very valuable, also, as food for cattle. • 

LETTUCE. 

If lettuce has become wilted in the market, let it stand with the stems in a 
bowl of cold water, for several hours before using, to become crisp again. Just 
before serving, wash carefully, then shake off the water, tear it in small pieces, as 
it is more convenient to serve in that way. It should never be cut with a knife. 
Pile it in a glass dish, and serve on salad dishes, or small plates. Vinegar and 
sugar is sometimes used for a dressing, or oil and vinegar, salt alone, French 
salad dressing, or mayonnaise, if preferred. It is delicious served with lemon 
juice, using sugar also if liked. 

Fried. — Chop lettuce and the tops of 2 onions fine, add 2 well-beaten eggs, put 
a little salad oil or butter into a frying-pan; and pour in the mixture well beaten; 
cover, stir up when well heated, and serve with vinegar or lemon juice, or without 
either, according to taste. 



166 VEGETABLES. 

Steamed. — Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a sauce-pan, add vinegar and 1 well 
beaten egg; stir well together, and add the leaves from 2 large heads of lettuce, 
cover, and let it steam until the lettuce is well wilted; serve hot. 

Lettuce is supposed to be a native of the East Indies, but it has been cultivated in 
Europe from very early times. It is wholesome and has a particularly pleasant taste. It 
is said to have a sedative action oa the nervous system, which allays pain and induces 
sleep. Those who have no tendency to apoplexy, and who are troubled with wakefulness 
may be recommended to eat lettuce at supper. It contains little nutriment, being 96% 
water. It contains about 1% of mineral matters (especially nitre), which are useful. 

MACARONI AND SPAGHETTI. 

Boiling Macaroni. — Do not wash macaroni, as that extracts part of its 
nutrients. After breaking it into suitable lengths put it into plenty 
of boiling water, slightly salted, and boil actively until it is done; most cook 
books say to boil it 15 to 20 minutes, but you will find it better if you boil it % 
to %. hour, but do not boil it too long or it will lose its nutritive qualities; then 
drain in a colander, pour on cold water, which will prevent its sticking, then 
spread the strips beside each other and cut them all at once into pieces about an 
inch long, which is better than leaving them in unwieldly lengths. 

Baked Macaroni. — Boil and prepare as above directed; then butter a baking- 
dish, put in the macaroni, cover with bread crumbs, pour a little melted butter 
on top, bake in a moderate oven 5 minutes, and serve. 

Fried Macaroni. — Boil the macaroni as above, and grate cheese. Take the 
cold macaroni, make it into little balls with the cheese, egg and bread-crumb 
them, and fry in smoking hot fat to a rich brown. 

Macaroni with Cheese. — Boil 34 R>- and prepare as above directed; then make 
a sauce with 1% cups hot milk, and 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour, and salt 
to taste. Then in the bottom of the baking-dish put a layers of grated cheese, put 
on a layer of macaroni, and cover with the sauce; then others layer of cheese, 
macaroni and sauce; put fine bread crumbs on top. dot with bits of butter and a 
little grated cheese, and bake until the top is browned. 

Macaroni with Milk Sauce. — Boil and prepare the macaroni as above; make 
a sauce with 1 cup milk thickened with a dessertspoon of butter and flour rubbed 
together and a little salt; after it has boiled a few moments drop in the macaroni, 
and in 5 minutes, dish up and serve. 

Spaghetti. — Boil this the same as macaroni, only it does not need to cook 
quite as long, and drain and pour on cold water the same. Cut it or not as you 
prefer. It can be treated otherwise much the same as macaroni. The same 
rules apply to vermicelli. 

Macaroni is a particular form of wheaten flour. It is made by selecting the finest flour, 
making it into a paste with water, then pressing it through holes or molds in a metal plate, 
or stamping it to the desired form, then drying or baking it. When properly dressed it is 

?leasant and wholesome, but not so easy of digestion as some other wheaten preparations, 
t is nutritious, however, and if well cooked deserves an extensive use. Butter and cheese 
go well with it, as the butter supplies the fat it lacks, and cheese adds the albumenoid 
element in its casein. 

Vermicelli and Spaghetti are prepared in the same way as macaroni, only they are 
pressed through smaller holes, making them a little smaller round. 

MUSHROOMS. 

Fried. — This is the simplest form of cooking them. Peel the mushrooms, cut 
off the stalks, and place them in a frying-pan with a little butter; fry gently till 
they are quite tender, season with a little pepper, and pour the contents of the 
frying-pan over them; put them on buttered toast before pouring on the gravy, if 
desired. The trimmings of mushrooms are useful for flavoring gravies, etc. 

Stewed. — Choose button mushrooms of uniform size. Wipe them clean and 
white with a wet flannel, and put them in a stew-pan with a little water, and let 



VEGETABLES. 16? 

them stew very gently % hour. Add salt to taste, work in a little flour and but- 
ter, to make the liquor about as thick as cream, and let it boil 5 minutes. When 
ready to dish it up, stir in 2 tablespoons of cream, or the yolk of 1 egg, stir it over 
the fire a minute, but do not let it boil, and serve. 

Mushrooms belong to the genus Agaricus, and over 1000 different species are known. 
They are dangerous vegetables to deal with unless you are sure you know the edible from 
the poisonous varieties. As mushrooms are put up in cans by those who are experts, the 
safest plan is to buy them in the market. They are used for seasoning sauces, ragouts, 
etc.; when fresh, they make a delicious stewed sauce. They are highly nitrogenous, and 
contain some fat; when dried, about l A their weight is nitrogenous. They are quite nutri- 
tious, but are by some considered indigestible. The fresh are better than the canned, but 
it is better in gathering them to be guided by some one who unerringly knows the edible 
varieties than to trust to any written description. Any mushroom having an offensive 
smell, or a bitter astringent, or even unpleasant flavor, is unfit for food. 

OKRA. 

Boiled. — Use only that which is young and tender; wash carefully, so as not to 

break the skins for the mucilage to escape. After washing, take off the stems, 

and boil, until quite soft, in water containing a little salt. When done, drain in 

the colander, place in the dish in which it is to be sent to the table, season with 

pepper and a little more salt; then pour over it butter sauce, or hot cream. Cook 

okra in porcelain lined or tin vessels, as iron colors it black. 

The Okra is a species of mallow (the Hibiscus esculentus) possessing mucilagenous seed 
pods which are valuable for soups and stews. The dishes thus formed are healthful and 
nutritious, and are quite popular in the South and in France. The ripe seeds are sometimes 
used to adulterate coffee, and form one of its least objectionable adulterations. Use the 
pods when young and tender; when over 3 inches long, they become tough and stringy. 

ONIONS. 

Onions, as has been said elsewhere, should not be cooked with other vegeta- 
bles, nor should the kettle in which they are cooked be used for other foods, as 
the odor of the onions clings tenaciously to the kettle for a long time after 
using it for that vegetable. So many people dislike onions, and others who like 
them do not eat them for other reasons, that great care should be taken in this 
respect. Remember the caution about using them in soups, when you are not 
sure of the tastes of the partakers; boil the onions separately, in the onion-kettle, 
and add them, at the time of serving, to the soup of those who like them. 

When peeling and slicing onions, hold the hands under water and they will not 
then affect the eyes. After peeling onions the smell may be taken from the hands 
by rubbing them with celery. It is said that after eating onions, the smell may 
be overcome by eating a little parsley. Onions, carrots and turnips, should be 
cut across the fibre in rings, instead of being split the other way, as they will 
then cook tender more quickly. The rank flavor of onions may be relieved by 
soaking them for an hour before cooking, in warm salt water. 

Plain, Boiled Onions. — Pour on boiling water, and take off the skins (use those 
of medium size, as the largest ones can be sliced for frying, and the smallest can 
be used for soups, if liked). Boil them in salted water, changing it once or twice 
during the process; when done soft, take them out with a fork, or drain them, 
put in a vegetable dish, sprinkle on salt, pepper, and bits of butter, which will be 
melted by the heat of the onions, and serve. 

Onions a la Bordeaux. — Parboil medium-sized onions, then drain the water 
from them; put them in a kettle with butter the size of an egg, a little salt, 
and use stock, gravy or water, to moisten them; simmer them until tender, and 
the sauce is reduced; add the juice of a lemon, and send to the table hot. 

Onions with Cream. — Skin the onions and cut them in small pieces and put 
them into a sauce-pan with a piece of butter and a little water, and let them cook 
thoroughly. Strain them and put them back into the sauce-pan, with a piece of 
butter; when this is melted, stir in a little flour, pepper and salt, and just before 
serving, a small quantity of cream. When this is added, the sauce must on no 
account be allowed to reach boiling point. Milk can be used in place of cream. 



168 VEGETABLES. 

Escaloped. — Boil the onions till quite soft, changing the water twice. Butter 
a deep baking-dish, and put in a layer of onions just pulled apart in bits, but not 
chopped; season with bits of butter and a little salt; then add a layer of bread 
crumbs or crushed crackers, season to taste, and moisten with milk. Then put 
in alternate layers of onions and crumbs, seasoning each layer, till the dish is full; 
finish with the bread crumbs. Moisten the last layer very thoroughly with milk; 
bake % hour in a hot oven. 

Escaloped, No. 2. — Lay an onion, sliced, and fried brown in butter, in the bot- 
tom of a baking-dish; put a layer of cold boiled rice next, well moistened with an 
equal quantity of stewed tomatoes, and cover the whole with a layer of crumbs, 
wet with milk. Set in the oven till heated through and brown on top. The rice 
and tomatoes should be previously seasoned. 

Fried. — If the onions are large, cut them in quarters first, then across in small 
pieces. The small ones may be cut in rings; put them in a spider, with a little 
dripping, or salt pork fat, to keep them from sticking; cover for 10 minutes, to 
partly stew them, then uncover and stir them until they are a nice yellowish 
brown. Butter may be used in frying onions, if preferred, but anything fried 
with butter must be closely watched, as it is more apt than other fat to scorch. 

The onion belongs to the natural order Allium, which includes also the leek, garlic and 
shallot. It is supposed to be a native of India, or Egypt, in both of which it has been grown 
from very early times. In Egypt, it was an object of worship. Of all the flavoring sub- 
stances used in cookery, it is the most valuable, next to salt. The onion possesses strong 
irritant and excitant properties, and is diuretic, expectorant and stimulating. It is be- 
lieved to promote sleep, and is usually considered very nutritious, but opinions differ on 
this point. They are not suited to all stomachs, and some cannot eat them fried or roasted, 
while others prefer them boiled, by which process they are deprived of their essential oil. 
Some authorities claim for them medicinal qualities of a high order, and advise their more 
general use. The strong smell comes from a volatile oil, rich in sulphur. 

Spanish, Onions are large, white, and delicate in odor and flavor. They can be used to flavor 
other vegetables, or used as a salad when cut in thin shavings. They can also be baked, 
boiled or fried, and served as a vegetable. 

PARSLEY. 

Fried. — See that the parsley is dry, dip it in smoking hot fat 1 minute, drain 
on paper, sprinkle on pepper and salt, and serve. 

PARSNIPS. 

Boiled. — Wash and scrub well, and boil until tender in salted water; then put 
them into cold water and the skins will easily rub off. Then cut them up and 
serve in a bechamel or white sauce, letting them steep in it a little while before 
serving. 

Parsnip Balls. — Boil as above and take off the skins; then mash smooth, re- 
moving any tough fibre; add salt, pepper, a little flour, and well-beaten egg; form 
into balls and fry in smoking hot fat. 

Fried. — Boil and skin as above; when cold, slice them and saute in butter or 
salt pork fat. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot. 

Stewed. — Wash, and scrape them clean, then cut them in little pieces about % 

an inch square, put them in a kettle with just sufficient water to cover them, 

with a trifle of salt, and a little pepper. When they are done, take off the cover. 

and let the water they were boiled in evaporate, so that there will be none to 

turn off, and they will brown a little; do not stir them until you take them up; 

then add a generous piece of butter (remember the old adage, "Fine words butter 

no parsnips"); stir lightly with a fork, take them up into a hot vegetable dish, and 

send to the table. 

Parsnips are a native of England, and are found in many parts of Europe and northern 
Asia. There are several varieties in cultivation. Tbey are wholesome and more nutritious 
than either the carrot or the turnip. Parsnips are sweetish in taste, and are a particularly 



VEGETABLES. 169 

useful vegetable in spring, when a change of diet is desirable, and fresh vegetables are 
scarce. They contain a little gluten, and a small percentage of starch and sugar. They 
go well with corned beef and salt fish. Although they are left in the ground during the 
winter, they should be dug as soon as the frost is out of the ground, and before the tops 
start to grow, as that detracts from their sweetness. 

PEAS. 

Young green peas should be washed in the pods, then shelled; then put the 
pods in a little soft water and boil about 10 minutes, as these pods are sweet and 
full of flavor which is worth saving; then skim them out, put in the peas, and 
boil them until tender; adding a little salt when almost done. Do not drain off 
the water they were cooked in, but serve it with the peas. When done, add a 
little butter, and salt if needed. A little sugar will be an improvement, and 
cream if you have it. 

Green peas are nice cooked in a steamer without water; then salted, and 
cream poured over them. 

If dried peas are boiled until very soft, mashed, and passed through a sieve, 
then seasoned and served, it will divest them of their indigestible outer coat, and 
it is really the best way to serve them. This applies also to beans. These pulses 
are among the most nutritious of foods, but the outer skin is almost indigestible 
cellulose, and is best gotten rid of as far as possible. (See what we say elsewhere 
about "cellulose.") 

The water in which peas are boiled should not be thrown away. If to this, as 
it comes from the kettle, is added a little stock, or some good meat extract, a 
delicious soup is at once produced, requiring nothing more than ordinary season- 
ing. 

Peas have been cultivated in the East from time immemorial, and were introduced into 
Europe very early in the middle ages. When eaten young, they are wholesome and diges- 
tible, and being richer in phosphates than most other vegetables, they are well adapted for 
invalids; but when older they are more indigestible. Split peas have the tough envelope 
removed. 

PQTATOES. 

Probably the best method of cooking potatoes, certainly from September to 
June, is by steaming them in the skins; by this process the steam penetrates 
everywhere, and there is no loss of material or salts. If the skins are removed 
before boiling, a large amount of salts will be lost. Dr. Letheby estimates the 
loss when the skins are removed at 14$, and when not removed at only 3%. The 
addition of common table salt to the water is advantageous, as it modifies the 
extraction of the natural salts, and improves the flavor. The boiling should be 
thorough, so that the starch grains of which they are largely composed, may 
swell and burst the walls of cellulose, which confine them ; too often, however, 
the potatoes are spoiled by allowing them to absorb water, and so become sodden 
after this stage is reached. Old potatoes, towards the end of the season, are 
improved by being peeled and put into cold water over night, by which process 
they regain in a measure their natural color and consistency. Put potatoes into 
cold water as soon as peeled; they turn dark if left exposed to the air. Old 
potatoes are rendered more digestible by being finely mashed; mash them very 
thoroughly indeed -you will hardly over-do it. Roasted potatoes are more nutri- 
tious than boiled, and mealy potatoes more nutritious than those which are 
waxy. Potatoes are spoiled by germination or growing (which exhausts the 
starch) and by frost; severe frost invariably kills them, so that when the thaw 
comes the process of putrefaction almost immediately sets in. The sweetness of 
potatoes which have been frozen and thawed, arises from the fact that the starch 
then changes to sugar on being exposed to warmth and air. Keep them frozen 
until wanted for use, then thaw by letting them lie in cold water, and use at once. 
Potatoes after being frozen decay very quickly, because in freezing, the water 
they contain bursts the cells. They can be put on to bake without being thawed, 
when frozen. Whenever the starch cells are intact, ripe potatoes can be cooked 
so that they will be mealy. The starch cells have not matured in unripe potatoes, 
so that when cooked they will not be so mealy, but they need not be soggy. 



170 VEGETABLES. 

When potatoes sprout, the process of germination ruptures the starch cells so 
that they will not afterwards cook as mealy as before sprouting. If sprouts 
appear they should be removed or killed at once, as they exhaust the starch as 
they grow, and spoil the potato for food. (See "Keeping Provisions" for a method 
of killing their sprouts.) 

To Boil Potatoes. —Wash them very thoroughly, or scrub them; a narrow 
strip cut off around the middle will allow the poisonous solanine to escape more 
readily; put them into boiling, salted water, and boil until soft (about 30 minutes) 
varying according to the variety and size. The thing to bear in mind is that to 
have potatoes mealy they must be taken out of the water as soon as the starch 
cells are cooked enough so that their walls are ready to burst; if drained off at 
once, the superfluous water will pass off as steam, and the interior will be dry and 
floury; if left longer they will absorb water and become sodden; therefore, as 
soon as they are tender onough to pierce readily with a fork, drain them, cover 
with a thick cloth, and set them for 15 or 20 minutes on the back part of the 
range, or where they will keep hot without burning. They can be kept thus, hot 
and dry, for several hours if need be, and right for eating. 

Baked Potatoes. — Select potatoes as nearly of a size as possible, wash or scrub 
thoroughly clean, and if old, let them stand for 2 hours in cold water; then wipe 
dry (always dry potatoes for baking) and bake in a hot oven; it will take from % 
to 1 hour. It is a good plan to prick the skin before putting them in to bake, to 
allow the escape of the steam and prevent their bursting; if not pricked, break 
the skin as soon as they are done to allow the steam to escape. Never cover baked 
potatoes to confine the steam, as that makes them soggy. Potatoes baked until 
just done are best; baked longer, they harden near the skin, lose their light, 
mealy character, and so deteriorate. Serve while hot. Baked potatoes are the most 
wholesome, because none of the nutrients are lost, part of the starch is turned to 
sugar, and the solanine escapes with the steam. 

Potato Balls. — Mix 2 teacups mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 
well-beaten eggs, salt and pepper to taste; form into balls, roll in flour, and fry in 
hot lard, or drippings. 

Broiled Potatoes. — Cut whatever you may have of cold boiled potatoes into 
lengthwise slices, about 34 inch thick; dip each in flour, and lay them between an 
oyster broiler. Have the fire clear, and when both sides are nicely browned, lay 
the slices on a hot dish, put a piece of butter on each and season with salt and 
pepper. A very delicate dish. 

Potato Cake. — Boil the potatoes till they are soft and floury, dry them, and, 
while warm, mash them thoroughly — this is usually done with the hand; then 
mix with them as much flour as will bind the potato without making it stiff, add 
salt, and roll out on a floured board, and shape the cake or cakes; then fry in 
boiling bacon-fat. Usually, the cake is rolled to about % inch in thickness, 
molded to the shape of the pan, and fried whole. Properly made, it is wonder- 
fully light. It requires some art in turning it. This is managed by heating only 
enough fat at first to fry one side, then, dexterously turning the cake on to a 
plate, and, when sufficient fat is boiling for the other side, sliding it into the pan 
again. 

Boston Chips. — After paring the potatoes, soak them 1 hour in cold water; 
then cut them into thin slices, lengthways of the potato; after this, do not wet 
them again. Have a kettle of moderately hot fat ready; put the chips in a bas- 
ket, dip them in the fat, leave a moment, lift out, dip in again, lift out again, and 



VEGETABLES. 171 

then put in and fry until they turn a golden brown; then lift out, put them in a 
colander, sprinkle on salt, set in the oven a minute, and serve. 

Saratoga Potatoes. — Shave them thin, soak in cold or ice water 20 or 30 min- 
utes, drain them, dry on a towel, and fry in boiling fat to a light brown; when 
done, drop them on blotting or unglazed paper to absorb the extra fat; sprinkle 
on salt, and serve hot. Enough can be done at one time, if desired, for several 
meals; they keep well, are easily warmed over by setting them in the oven a few 
minutes, and are nearly as good as when fresh. 

A similar method is to cut them in cubes, instead of thin strips. They require 
a little longer frying, but are nice for a change, and are more moist and digestible 
than chips. 

Creamed Potatoes. — Into a frying-pan put 1 tablespoon butter; as soon as it 
bubbles, stir in 1 tablespoon of flour, and 1 cup hot milk; season to taste with 
pepper and salt; then put in 2 cups cold boiled potatoes, which are cut into small 
cubes, beat thoroughly and serve. 

Potatoes with Cheese. — Put alternate layers of thinly-sliced cheese, and sliced 
cold potatoes into a dish, with the cheese on top; dot with butter, and bake a 
light brown in a slow oven. 

Escaloped Potatoes.— Slice small, raw potatoes quite thin. Butter a dish well, 
and sprinkle fine bread crumbs on the bottom; then put in a layer of sliced po- 
tatoes and season with salt and pepper and bits of butter. Then add another 
layer of crumbs, and so alternately, until the dish is full, having crumbs on top 
with a good supply of butter. Moisten with milk and a little cream, if it is to be 
had, and bake until potatoes are creamy and nicely browned on top. If the oven 
is very hot, it is well to cover them part of the time. . 

Potatoes and Eggs. — Take 2 large cups of cold, well-mashed potatoes, and %, cup 
melted butter; beat together until light and smooth, and add 2 well-beaten eggs, 
1 cup milk, and a little salt; beat all together; put into a deep dish, brown in a 
quick oven, and serve hot. 

Fried. — Peel and slice cold potatoes, and fry first one side, then turn and fry 
the other, in a frying-pan, with salt pork fat, beef drippings or butter. Sprinkle 
with salt and pepper, and always send to the table hot. Raw potatoes can be 
fried in the same way. They will be better if they are soaked in cold water after 
being peeled and sliced; the water will take out the starch and they will then fry 
more crisp. The French usually fry them, like doughnuts, in smoking hot fat. 
Take them out the minute they are browned, drain on paper, season, and serve 
hot. 

Potatoes Warmed in Gravy.— Chop cold boiled potatoes in the chopping-bowl 
(with a knife they are never cut even, some pieces are large, while others are 
almost mashed); after the potatoes are pretty fine, put a piece of butter in the 
frying-pan, turn in the potatoes, brown slightly, then turn in gravy (chicken 
gravy is very nice), and stir the potatoes carefully with a fork, so as not to mash 
them, until the gravy is very hot. Season with a little salt and pepper. 

Lyonnaise Potatoes.— Slice 6 cold boiled potatoes, or cut into dice. Put a 
little butter in the frying-pan, put in J^ onion, chopped fine, and fry it a light 
brown; put in the potatoes and fry them a light brown, turning them without 
breaking; then stir in 1 tablespoon of minced parsley, and serve hot. A few 
drops of vinegar added with the onion, improves the flavor. 

Mashed Potatoes. — Pare and boil them in slightly salted water; when done, 



1?2 VEGETABLES. 

drain off the water, and mash them in the kettle with a wire masher; add a level 
teaspoon of salt to 10 potatoes, and a little cream, or, if one has no cream, a piece 
of butter and a little hot water; mash and beat against the side of the kettle, 
until they are creamy — you can hardly mash too much; keep them hot in the 
kettle until ready to serve. Pour hot water in the vegetable dish to warm it, pile 
the potato in the dish, put dots of black pepper over it, and send it to the table. 
Potatoes a la Maitre d'Hotel. — Cut cold boiled potatoes in small squares, the 
size of dice, and put them over the fire in a stew-pan, with butter or cream, a 
little chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and a few drops of vinegar or 
lemon juice. Let them get hot, shaking the pan to keep them from burning, and 
serve them in a hot dish that has been rubbed with a raw onion. 

Potato Puff. — To 2 cups of mashed potatoes, add 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 
and beat until light; then mix in it 2 eggs, well beaten, a cup of milk, and salt to 
taste. Beat together thoroughly, and bake in a buttered pudding-dish in a quick 
oven until nicely browned. A fine breakfast dish. 

Puffed Potatoes. — Cut peeled raw potatoes in thin slices, and fry in a kettle 
of hot fat; stir with a fork to prevent their sticking together. When they are 
soft, take them out with a skimmer and let them drain on a sieve until cool; 
then return to the hot fat and fry 4 minutes longer; the second frying causes the 
slices to puff and become hollow. Sprinkle them with salt and serve. 

Potato Stew. — Take 6 or 8 large potatoes, peel and slice thin; cut 3 thick 
slices of salt pork into little squares, and put into the bottom of the soup-kettle; 
fry thoroughly, then add the potatoes, with salt, pepper and a little sage, if liked, 
and 1 large tomato peeled and sliced; cover with water and closely cover the 
kettle. Cook until the potatoes begin to break in pieces. Cheap and good. 

Stuffed Potatoes. — Choose 12 good-sized potatoes, wash them, and scrub the 
skins with a brush; bake them until done — about one hour. Remove them from 
the oven, cut a slice off one end of each, scrape out the potato, mix it lightly with 
a small piece of butter, pepper and salt, replace it in the skin, and, when all are 
done, return them to the oven for 10 minutes. In serving, cut a slice off the 
other end to make them stand upright on a flat dish, leaving the top uncovered. 
A little cooked meat can be mixed in before replacing the potato in the skin, if 
desired. 

Potato Turnovers. — Have some cold roast beef, or veal and ham mixed, and 
cut very fine. Take hot mashed potatoes and make into a paste with 1 or 2 eggs, 
according to quantity. You should have twice as much potato as meat. Roll the 
potato out, dredging with flour. Cut this round, about the size of a small saucer. 
On one half put the chopped meat, fold the other half over and fry a light 
brown. 

Warmed Over Potatoes. — (1) Slice up cold potatoes, fry in a little butter, lard, 
or nice drippings, season with salt and pepper; fry a nice brown, and just before 
serving pour in a little cream or milk; toss about for a few minutes. Serve very 
hot. Or, (2) grate them into the dish they are to be served in, dot with butter, 
sprinkle on salt, and bake about 5 minutes in a hot oven. Or, (3) cut into dice, 
put into a dish, add a little milk, butter and salt, and heat in the oven. Never 
waste any potato left over. 

The potato is a native of America. It was introduced into England in the sixteenth 
century, but it was nearly 100 years before it was cultivated to any extent. As food, it 
ranks next in value to the cereals, but it is not as cheap.and desirable a food in itself as is 
often supposed, since it does not contain the necessary food elements in right proportions 
for a steady diet. It is best eaten as an addition to pulses, lean meat, and other nitrogenous 



VEGETABLES. 173 

food. Potatoes consist mainly of starch and water, about 78;? being water; starch 18%, 
and fibrin and albumen 2%. Young new potatoes are more indigestible than old ones. 
In a floury and mealy state they are easily digested, but when close and waxy they are not. 
They possess slightly laxative qualities. The waste in boiling is much less when they are 
boiled in their skins, because that is of a cork-like substance partly impervious to water. 
There is considerable waste in peeling potatoes because the most albuminous part lies im- 
mediately under the skin. In and near the skin itself, is a poisonousacid juice, called 
solanine, but that is destroyed or dissipated when the potatoes are cooked. It is this pois- 
onous acid which causes the disagreeable smell and taste of the water in which potatoes 
have been boiled, and it makes the water unfit for use. 

SWEET POTATOES. 

To Boil. — Select those of an even size, wash perfectly clean, and boil until 
tender; then peel, cut them in two lengthwise, and place them on a buttered tin 
in the oven to brown; in this way the skins are disposed of before sending them 
to the table. It takes longer to cook sweet potatoes than the common ones. 

Baked. — Wash medium-sized sweet potatoes and place on the top grate of a hot 
oven; when the potatoes are about half done, pierce them with a fork to let the 
steam escape; this will make them dry and mealy. 

Broiled. — Boil, let cool, and peel the number of large, sweet potatoes required. 
Slit them in 2 or 3 slices, dip in melted butter, and place them in a double grid- 
iron. Broil a light brown on both sides, dish them up, and after pouring some 
melted butter over the potatoes, they may be served. 

Fried. — Peel the raw potato, cut it into very thin, lengthwise strips, and fry in 
smoking hot fat, deep enough to immerse them in; as they rise to the top and 
brown on one side, turn them and let them brown on the other. Nice, and new 
in the north. 

Sweet Potatoes and Pork. — Select white looking fresh pork, rib pieces; cut them 
thin and free from fat and bone; fry them carefully, and cook thoroughly until 
nicely browned; then place on a warm platter; cut boiled sweet potatoes in slices 
lengthways, and fry until brown in the fat in the spider; use care not to burn 
them; salt them as they cook; then arrange on the platter around the meat; serve 
very hot, with apple-sauce and hot johnny-cake. 

Sugared Sweet Potatoes. — Boil those of medium size, dry off in the oven, peel, 

let them get cold, and then cut in two lengthwise; then lay each half on its round 

side in a shallow pan or dripping-pan, put a good bit of butter and a little salt and 

pepper on each one, sift granulated sugar generously over all, and put in a quick 

oven to brown; it takes about 40 minutes. Excellent and new. 

The sweet potato is probably of American origin, though now extensively cultivated in 
many countries. It belongs to the Convolvulus order. It contains more sugar than the 
true potato. Its constituent parts are, water 71 parts; albumen, VA\ starch, 15; sugar, 3; 
pectose gum and cellulose, 5; mineral matter, 1. 

PUMPKINS. 

Pumpkin Butter. — Peel and cut enough pumpkin to fill a large iron or porce- 
lain kettle. Select the sweetest pumpkins, as you would for pies. Stew 4 or 5 
hours, until it is a rich golden brown color, and dried to a thick paste. It must 
be frequently stirred at last, to prevent burning. This sauce is especially good 
served with pork, either salt or fresh. 

Pumpkins are a species of gourd. They were formerly more used for food than at 
present, having been somewhat supplanted by the squash. They possess one peculiar 
quality— that of absorbing and retaining the flavor of whatever they are cooked with. If 
stewed with apples they taste exactly like them in puddings and tarts, and they may be 
used to advantage in most savory cookery. They contain about 1% of sugar, 2 to h% of 
starch, and about 1% of fat and nitrogenous matter. An anonymous writer in the early 
settlement of America wrote home to England as follows: 

"If fresh meat be wanting to fill up our dish, 
We have carrots, and pumpkins, and turnips and fish, 
We have pumpkins at morning, and pumpkins at noon. 
And if it were not for pumpkins we should be undone." 



174 VEGETABLES. 

Pumpkins for winter can be stewed and canned like fruit, and will then nearly 
equal fresh pumpkins. 

RADISHES. 

They are washed and scraped, and to keep them fresh looking are placed on 
the table in glasses containing a little water. All varieties are served in the same 
way. 

There are many varieties of the radish, and they are supposed to possess some power in 
stimulating the appetite. The radish is demulcent, stimulating and diuretic, hut it is not 
suitable for those with weak digestive powers. 

BICE. 

Boiled. — Pick over carefully, and wash at least twice, in cold water, washing 
it thoroughly clean, and drain. Then put the rice into plenty of well salted 
boiling water, and make it boil actively so that the water will bubble and toss 
the rice around; cook it till tender, but no longer, for if the grains burst they will 
surely stick together; test it often by squeezing a grain between the fingers; if it 
flattens easily it is ready to drain; it should cook in 15 to 20 minutes, according 
to the age of the rice. When soft, drain off the water, remove the rice, and set it 
at the back of the stove to dry about % hour. If you stir it while cooking, use a 
fork instead of a spoon, as that separates the grains. Cooked thus each grain 
will be distinct and separate. Unless the water is used for soup, boiling rice is 
less desirable than steaming it, because so much of its nutrients are dissolved out 
and thrown away in the water. 

Baked. — Take some cold boiled rice, add 1 or 2 well-beaten eggs, some grated 
cheese, some finely chopped boiled ham, and a little melted butter; put it 
in a baking-dish, sprinkle grated cheese on top, and bake in a good oven until a 
broom straw, when thrust into the middle, will come out clean. 

Steamed. — Pick over the rice and wash it thoroughly in cold water; put it in a 
farina boiler, with % teaspoon of salt and 1 pint of boiling water to each cup of 
rice; cover, and cook till soft (about % hour); then remove the cover and let it 
dry off, stirring it with a fork to facilitate the escape of the steam and keep the 
grains separate. If you have no double boiler it can be put in a tin pail and 
steamed in the steamer. Stock or milk can be used instead of water, if desired, 
but use a little more. 

Rice with Cheese. — Steam some rice in either water or milk; then mix in 
some grated cheese, pepper and salt; put the mixture in a pie-dish or tin, shake 
some grated cheese on top, and bake until nicely browned. The mixture must 
be fairly moist before it is baked, or it will get dry. 

Rice appears to be a native of the East Indies, and it has formed the principalfood of 
the Indian and Chinese people from remote antiquity. It is now cultivated in every 
country where the climate is suitable. It contains about 75% of starch, and because it has 
little fat or albumen, it is not fit for a sole article of diet. In nourishing properties it is 
greatly inferior to wheat, but it is a light and wholesome food, and is well adapted for 
invalids. As it has little of the heat producing elements, it is suitable for the inhabitants 
of hot climates. It goes well with meat and other articles rich in albumenoids. 

SALSIFY OB VEGETABLE OYSTEB. 

Scrape the roots clean, and keep them covered with cold water containing a 
little vinegar, until time to cook, as exposure to the air will blacken them. 
Then boil till tender, in salted water. After boiling thus, it can be mashed, the 
fibres picked out, salted to taste, butter worked in, and served in a warm vege- 
table dish. Or, after boiling, they can be drained, sliced, dipped in fritter 
batter, and fried in smoking hot fat; or egg and bread-crumbed, and then fried. 
Or the slices can be sauted in a frying-pan, with butter or salt pork fat. 

Creamed Salsify. — Wash it, scrape, cut into slices % inch thick, boil till 



VEGETABLES. 175 

tender in a sauce-pan; then turn off most of the liquor, add milk or cream, and 

salt to taste, and boil 5 to 10 minutes longer; thicken the liquor with rice flour or 

other thickening, and serve hot. If milk is used add a large lump of butter. 

Escaloped Salsify.— Boil, mash it, moisten with milk, add butter, salt and 

pepper to season, put it in a baking-pan, cover with dry crumbs, and bake in a 

quick oven about 7 or 8 minutes. 

Salsify (also called vegetable oyster) belongs to the natural order Compositce, the same 
order to which lettuce and chicory belong. It is the root which is used, which is shaped 
somewhat like the common carrot. As a rule, members of this order are tonic or stimulant 
in their medicinal qualities. 

SEA-KALE. 

Boiled. — Wash the kale thoroughly and examine it for insects; tie it in 
bunches like asparagus, and boil until tender, in water containing a trifle of salt; 
when done, drain thoroughly, on a cloth, untie the bundle, and spread the kale 
on slices of toasted bread; then pour over it hot butter sauce. 

Sea-kale resembles asparagus, and belongs to the same tribe. It is easily cultivated. It 
is so light that the most delicate organizations may readily eat it, and it is nutritious, 
stimulating to the appetite, and easily digested. It usually contains no sugar, but some 
mucilage and starch, the percentage being, starch and mucilage, 3; cellulose, 1; albumen, 
2.4; mineral matter, 0.6, and water, 93. 

Scotch Kale.— This has a fine head of curly leaves; the tenderest are used as greens, 
and are prepared in the same manner as dandelions and other greens. This herb may 
be planted late, like late turnips, and is in season, if planted early, from midsummer to 
late fall; it may be picked green and fresh, even after the ground is covered with snow. 

SAUEKKROUT. 

To Make. — Choose firm, white cabbage heads and remove the coarse outer 
leaves, and the large fibres of the back of the white leaves; chop coarsely, and for 
about 30 medium-sized heads, allow 3^ lb. of salt and mix it well with the chopped 
cabbage; cover the bottom of a small oak barrel or cask with cabbage leaves, and 
press the cabbage firmly into the barrel, or pound it down with a wooden pestle. 
When all the cabbage is firmly packed, cover with cabbage leaves and a cloth, 
then have a round cover that goes into the barrel, press it down firmly and put 
a stone on that to keep it in place. As soon as it begins to ferment (and you will 
know it by the odor) place the barrel in a cold cellar or storehouse, where it will 
not freeze. Made in October, it is ready to cook in February. 

To Cook. — To cook sauerkrout, take it from the barrel, and if very sour it can 
be washed in a plenty of water and drained dry in the colander; put butter, drip- 
ping or salt pork fat in the frying-pan, add a sliced onion, if liked, put a few spoon- 
fuls of water in the pan, with the krout; cover with a plate and stew slowly for 
an hour; then stir it well before taking up. It is eaten with a little pepper and 
vinegar, or with sour baked apples. 

SPINACH. 

Boiled. — Wash it many times in cold water to thoroughly and perfectly free it 
from sand and dust. Then put in a close sauce-pan, without a drop of water, over 
a moderate fire; cover closely, and cook till tender — about 1 hour. Its own juice 
runs out, and it cooks in that. Spinach should be one of the most healthful of 
springtime vegetables, but its most valuable elements are its mineral matters or 
potash salts, and by the old method of cooking they are almost entirely lost. The 
above method preserves them. When done, drain, chop fine, and season with 
butter, pepper and salt; or pour over a cream sauce. Serve with slices of hard- 
boiled egg over it. 

Spinach is supposed to be a native of Western Arabia. It was not known to the ancients, 
but was introduced into Europe some 400 years ago. It is laxative, cooling, wholesome, and 
easily digested, but does not afford much nutriment. 

SQUASH. 

Summer Squash.— Boiled.— -They must be so young that the thumb nail will 



176 VEGETABLES. 

strike through the shell. Wash and quarter or slice them (you need not remove 
the skin or seeds); then boil till tender in slightly salted water — about 20 or 30 
minutes. When done, turn off the water and set the kettle back on the stove; 
mash, and stir to let the water dry out, then add butter, salt, and a little white 
pepper. Keep hot on the back of the stove until time to serve. 

Baked. — Pare the squash, remove the seeds, and steam it until tender; then 
mash, season with butter, pepper'and salt, and to a medium-sized squash add 1 
cup cracker or bread crumbs; stir together well, put it in a greased baking-dish, 
and bake 1 hour. 

Fried Summer Squash. — Peel the squash, cut in small squares, and fry in hot 
butter; season with pepper and salt. It will be as delicate as and taste much 
like egg plant. Try it. 

Winter Squash. — This usually has a hard shell, and has to be broken with a 
hatchet, by dropping on a plank floor, or by sawing with the meat saw. Break in 
small pieces for the kettle, scrape out the seeds, and wash clean. Put the pieces 
in the kettle with the shell side up, have a little salt in the water, which should 
cover it, and cook for an hour, if it does not break to pieces. When done, take 
the shells in a clean cloth, and, with an iron spoon, scrape the squash into a basin 
to keep hot on the back of the range. If too dry, moisten with a little water, and 
add butter, salt and pepper to taste. Some winter squashes have a thin soft 
shell and are watery; they can be baked in the oven, then seasoned as above. 
Both summer and winter squashes are also steamed instead of boiled by some 
cooks. 

The squash is a species of gourd, belonging to the same general order as the cucumber 
and pumpkin. It is a pleasant and wholesome article of food, but contains little nutriment, 
having about 1% of sugar, 2 to i% of starch, and less than 1% of nitrogenous matter. 

TOMATOES. 

Baked. — Scald and skin tomatoes that are whole and firm, and ripe enough to 
be thoroughly red; cut a slice from the stem end, and with a sharp knife take out 
the hard core; arrange them in a round baking-tin well buttered, with the cut 
side upward; put a sprinkle of salt and pepper over them, and, in each one, a bit 
of bread well buttered. Then bake. 

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes. — Choose large tomatoes, as nearly the same size as 
possible; from the stem end take out the seeds and inner part of the tomato; 
make a stuffing of bread crumbs, finely-chopped cold ham, and the chopped to- 
mato; season with butter, pepper, a little salt and mustard. Fill the tomatoes 
with the stuffing, and bake them. Add a little butter to them before putting in 
the oven, and a very little water in the baking-pan. When they are done, set 
them where they will keep hot; add a little more butter and hot water to the 
baking-pan, and make a thin gravy, thickening it with browned flour and stirring 
in a tablespoon of sugar. 

Tomatoes and Cream. — Slice the tomatoes rather thick, and turn off all the 
juice that escapes; sprinkle with sugar, and just before they are served pour 
cream over them. To those who have never tried it, this dish may be uninviting, 
but to those who are fond of the natural flavor of the tomato, it will be found 
delicious. The yellow tomato preserves are very nice served with cream. Ac- 
companied with nice white cake, no daintier dessert could be wished for. 

Tomato Croutes. — Small tomatoes are better for this dish. Scald and peel, 
then cut a slice from the stem end, leaving about % of the tomato; place them, 
the cut side down, on slices of buttered bread, arranged in a buttered baking-tin; 



VEGETABLES. 177 

sprinkle with salt and pepper; bake % hour. This dish can be served with cold 
meat, and is well worth trying. 

Escaloped Tomatoes. — Tomatoes are escaloped like oysters. Put a layer of bread 
crumbs in a buttered baking-dish; over this, a layer of sliced tomatoes, seasoned 
with salt, pepper, butter, and a very little sugar. Have the top layer of bread 
crumbs, and scatter over it bits of butter, and then bake. A little of the gravy 
left from roast meats would add to the flavor, and might be poured over just be- 
fore it is put in the oven. Canned tomatoes can be used almost equally well. 

Raw Tomatoes. — Tomatoes are often eaten raw. Some people object to having 
the skin removed, but if properly done, the flavor is not injured. Select those 
which are firm, smooth and fully ripe, put them in a pan, and pour on enough 
boiling water to cover, and leave them 15 seconds, but no more; then pour off, 
and fill the dish with cold water. Take out, remove the skins and cores, and set on 
ice till wanted. Cut in thin slices and serve ice cold. They are delicious eaten either 
with sugar alone, or with sugar, salt, pepper and vinegar. They should be pre- 
pared several hours in advance, to be eaten this way; or, if wanted for breakfast, 
skin them the night before, and keep on ice till ready to use them. 

Fried Tomatoes. — Select the largest firm, ripe tomatoesfor frying. Cut them 
in halves and put them in a frying-pan that can be covered, having first melted 
2 tablespoons of butter in the pan; place the tomatoes with the skin side down, 
and on the top of each half put as much of bread-crumbs as it will hold; season 
with salt and pepper. Cover the tomatoes and allow them to cook 10 minutes 
without removing the cover; then take out the tomatoes on a platter and set 
where they will keep hot while you prepare a gravy for them, as follows: If the 
butter has cooked away, add a little more to the frying-pan; pour in % teacup 
of boiling water, then thicken with a teaspoon of flour wet with a little water; 
stir until it boils, season with salt and pepper, and pour over the tomatoes. 

Tomatoes and Macaroni. — Turn % lb- of tomatoes into a sauce-pan, with a 
spoonful of stock or a bit of butter; let them cook until tender enough to pass 
through a coarse sieve or colander, then re-heat, season nicely, adding a few drops 
of lemon- juice or vinegar, and pour over a flat dish covered with nicely-boiled 
macaroni, not the pipe; that answers when it is to be cut into short lengths. 
Cover the surface with grated cheese and bread crumbs, put a few bits of butter 
over it, and brown it before the fire or in a quick oven. 

Salted Tomatoes. — Pick ripe tomatoes (but not too ripe) and put in jars. Put 
strong salt brine over them, and cover with a plate, having the brine just 
cover them, and then in the winter when you want to use them, take out what 
you want and soak 24 hours in cold water, then peel and slice the same as when 
they are fresh from the vines. They are much better in this way than when 
canned. 

Stewed Tomatoes. — Scald, peel, slice and stew slowly in a sauce-pan about }£ 
hour; then add salt, pepper, butter, and a little sugar to sweeten; stew % hour 
more, stirring in the seasoning. Thicken, if desired, with cracker or bread 
crumbs, or corn-starch, or flour dissolved in cold water. Canned tomatoes can be 
prepared in the same manner. 

Tomato Toast.— Scald and peel nice, fresh tomatoes, and stew till tender; 
season with butter, salt, pepper and a little sugar. Take as many slices of bread 
as needed for the family, toast well, butter, and arrange in layers in a deep dish 
with some of the stewed tomatoes on each slicej cover and serve at once, 
U 



178 VEGETABLES. 

Canned Tomatoes. — These are nice stewed and baked in alternate layers with 
boiled rice, or boiled macaroni, seasoning the layers with butter, pepper and salt. 

The tomato is a native of South America, and belongs to the nightshade order, which 
includes the potato and tobacco. It was considered poisonous or unfit for food until within 
a comparatively few years. The fruit is the only part which is eaten. It is a delicious 
article of food, and exerts a healthy influence upon the liver and biliary organs, and is con- 
sidered by some physicians, a good remedy for indigestion ard dyspepsia. It contains 
about 6% of sugar, a little less than 1% of malic acid, to which it owes its refreshing and 
cooling qualities, a little pectose, etc. The skins will readily come off if boiling water is 
poured over them and they are allowed to stand a while. 

TURNIPS. 

Boiled. — Wash, peel, cut in pieces, and boil until tender in just enough salted 
water to cover them. They are then sometimes mashed until the lumps are all 
out, then seasoned with salt, white pepper, and a little butter; serve hot. A 
better way than mashing, because it makes them less soggy, is to chop them; 
when boiled tender, turn them into a wooden bowl, season with salt, white pepper 
and a little butter, chop them very quickly, and put them in the oven to become 
hot before serving. Small turnips are very nice served whole, with butter, salt 
and pepper, and if one has it to spare, a few spoonfuls of cream on them. 

Creamed Turnips. — Boil, cut in dice, and pour over a cream sauce. A drawn 
butter, or any white sauce, can be used instead. 

Piedmontese Turnips. — Half boil the turnips; after cutting them in slices 

butter a pudding-dish, put in the turnips, moisten them with a little milk or 

cream, dust over them pepper, salt and bread crumbs, and a little grated cheese, 

and bake in the oven until of a bright golden brown. Omit the cheese if preferred. 

The turnip is used throughout the United States and Europe, but it does not thrive in 
a hot climate. It contains little nutritive matter, and is good for human food only when 
taken with other articles. When eaten alone it creates flatulency. It contains no starch 
but has instead a jelly-like substance called pectine, and in the best kinds a slightly acid 
quality also. It is somewhat laxative and diuretic. It is not good for those with weak 
digestive organs. Turnips need much salt as they contain none, and being without fats or 
starch they go well with fat meats, potatoes, etc., which contain those elements. 

YAMS. 

Boiled. — Peel and cut into slices about ^4 inch thick, put them into a kettle 
with barely enough salted water to cover; cover closely and cook till tender — 
about % to 1 hour. Drain in a colander, keeping it hot. Make a white sauce, 
pour it over and serve. 

Pried. —Peel the yams and slice as above; parboil 20 minutes in slightly salted 
water; then drain, wipe dry, and fry brown in butter, pork fat or oil, as pre- 
ferred; sprinkle with a little salt and white pepper while frying. 

The yam is a native of tropical countries. The roots are tuberous, something like our 
own potatoes. When boiled or baked they are nice in flavor, and very nutritious. Although 
somewhat resembling sweet potatoes they are of a widely different order, belonging to the 
order Dioscorea. They contain water, 79$ ; albumenoids, %% ; starch, etc., 16$ ; fats, 0.5% ; 
mineral matters, VA%. 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 



Bread has well been called the staff of life. It is in vegetable foods that 
which flesh is in animal foods, and each contains nearly all the elements needed 
for nutrition. The following table will show the percentage of the different food 
elements found in the various grains: 

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF FOOD ELEMENTS IN GRAINS, ETC. 



Wheat Flour 

Buckwheat Flour.. 

Rye Flour 

Graham Flour 

Cornmeal 

Oatmeal 

Barley (Pearl) 

Wheat Bread , 

Boston Crackers... 
Oatmeal Crackers 

Cracked Wheat 

Starch 

Sugar, Granulated 
Molasses — 



Pater. 

% 


Albu- 
menoids. 

% 


Carbohy- 
drates. 

■ % 


Fats. 

% 


Mineral 
Matters. 

% 


Potential 

Energy 

in IB). 

Calories. 


12.5 


11.0 


74.9 


1.1 


0.5 


1645 


14.6 


6.9 


76.1 


1.4 


1.0 


1605 


13.1 


6.7 


78.7 


0.8 


0.7 


1625 


13.1 


11.7 


71.7 


1.7 


1.8 


1625 


15.0 


9.2 


70.6 


3.8 


1.4 


1645 


7.8 


14.7 


68.4 


7.1 


2.0 


1845 


11.8 


8.4 


78.1 


0.7 


1.0 


1635 


32.3 


8.8 


56.3 


1.7 


0.9 


1280 


8.3 . 


10.7 


68.7 


9.9 


2.4 


1895 


4.9 


10.4 


69.6 


13.7 


1.4 


2065 


10.4 


11.9 


74.6 


1.7 


1.4 


1680 


2.0 


0.0 


97.8 


0.0 


0.2 


1820 


2.0 


0.0 


97.8 


0.0 


0.2 


1820 


24.6 





73.1 


0.0 


2.3 


1360 



The above analyses give, of course, only the average composition; the analysis 
of different varieties varying a good deal. Thus some varieties of corn contain as 
low as 3% of fat, and others as high as 9%, the yellow varieties, as a rule, contain- 
ing more than the white. So also different varieties of oatmeal and other grains 
vary in their composition somewhat. Wheat makes the best bread of any cereal. 
This is owing to the peculiar character of its albuminous matter, which is a grey- 
ish-yellow, elastic, sticky substance, called gluten. This gluten is a compound of 
at least 4 albumenoids, called gluten-film, gluten-casein, gliadin, and mucedin. 
Grains like corn and oatmeal, which lack gluten, do not make good bread. Wheat 
bread best meets the requirements of adult life. The gluten furnishes the flesh 
making elements, and the starch the heat giving, while deficiencies in the amount 
of phosphates, etc., can be made up by the use of eggs, vegetables, etc. 

The essentials of bread making are (1) perfect cleanliness; (2) good flour; (3) 
good yeast; (4) the dough must rise well; (5) the oven must be right — neither too 
hot nor too cold; (6) the careful attention of the cook throughout the process. 

Wheat bread is the kind most commonly eaten in this country, and it is made 
of the best quality of wheat flour by mixing it with water or milk and yeast of 
some kind, which causes a more or less rapid fermentation according to the kind 
of yeast employed. A thorough kneading or molding process is also essential 
in making this bread, and great care and skill employed in the baking. 

The yeast must be fresh and good or the bread will be heavy and indigestible; 
stale, sour yeast or leaven, produces instead of vinous an acetous fermentation, 
and the result is a sour, heavy and unwholesome loaf. 

Mixing the Bread. -Always sift the flour before using it, and it should also 
be dry. Dough for bread, if mixed at night, should be made late in the evening, 
and well molded (or kneaded as the process is usually called), and in cool or cold 
weather should be placed where it will retain the warmth of the water or milk 
used in mixing the dough. The wetting should be quite warm, but not hot 
enough to scald the yeast. The flour should also be warmed in cold weather by 
setting the pan which contains it on the back of the range, and constantly stirring 
it from the bottom of the pan, until the flour feels warm to the hand. The hand 
is better for stirring it, as a spoon does not always prevent its caking in the bot- 

(179) 



180 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

torn of the pan. When thus warmed it will rise much more quickly, and when 
thoroughly warmed it can be mixed with the warm wetting. A tablespoon of 
salt is added, and many cooks use a tablespoon of sugar, which hastens the fer- 
mentation and rising of the dough. In hot weather the flour does not need 
warming, and the wetting may also be of the temperature of the air. The dough 
will be light in the morning, and can be molded again, divided into loaves and 
put into the baking-tins to rise again, when it will be ready to bake; or, instead 
of molding it early in the morning, if other work is pressing, or the third rising 
is desired, it may be cut down with a knife, until it is very nearly of the bulk it 
was before rising, and left to rise again until after breakfast is over, when it can 
be molded to put in the baking-tins. One good bread making rule is to mold 20 
minutes at night after mixing, keeping the dough as soft as possible; then cut 
down well the first thing in the morning; after breakfast mold 10 minutes, with 
as little added flour as possible, then divide into loaves and put it in the baking- 
tins. 

If dough becomes chilled, put the pan at once into a larger one filled with 
warm water, and as fast as the water cools replace it with more which is warm, 
until the dough begins to rise again. By keeping rising dough at a temperature 
of about 50° (by putting it in a cellar or otherwise), it may be kept at a standstill 
for hours without being injured; then it should be brought into a warm room 
about an hour before "baking, to finish the rising process. 

The best way of mixing bread is to mix the yeast well into the water or milk, 
and then work in the flour. This is better than the old way of making a hole in 
the flour and then pouring the liquid into it, as less kneading will be necessary, 
and the yeast will be more uniformly mixed with the flour. It is better to meas- 
ure the liquid, letting that regulate the size of the loaf, and then add enough 
flour to make it the right consistency, than it is to measure the flour first and 
then add the liquid. Measure the liquid, and either mix in all the flour at first, 
or else add about half at first, making a batter, let it rise well, then add the re- 
mainder, and let it rise again. By the latter method the bread rises more quickly, 
and milk bread may in the summer be thus mixed in the morning and baked by 
noon. Housekeepers can try the 2 methods and adopt the one which they prefer. 
When yeast bread is mixed in the morning instead of at night (and with the 
quickly rising compressed yeast this is often done) instead of molding the bread 
when first mixed, it can be stirred with a spoon, and the flour cut into it, until 
the dough is quite stiff; then cover it to keep it warm and in 2 or 3 hours it will 
have risen so that more flour can be added, then molded, and put into baking-pans 
to rise. Many persons prefer this bread as being better and sweeter than when 
risen over night. 

Remember that getting the dough too stiff is one great fault in making bread; 
aim to have it as soft as possible without being at all sticky or wet. If either the 
sponge or the dough be permitted to overwork itself, that is to say, if the mixing 
and kneading be neglected when it has reached the proper point for either, sour 
bread will probably be the result in warm weather, and bad bread at all times. 

The Kneading. — The object in kneading the dough is to thoroughly mix the 
flour and water, and evenly distribute the yeast, so that the fermentation may be 
uniform. It is best done on a bread board, although often done in a mixing bowl. 
The dough should be kneaded until it is a smooth, plastic, even grained mass. 
The motion is hard to describe, but much depends on having the kneading thor- 
oughly and properly done. Use as little extra flour as possible. Deftness rather 
than strength counts in the process. If you can pull the dough out long, and it 
springs back to the hand, it is good. 

The Rising. — In setting dough to rise, the rule is that it should rise till its size 
is a little more than doubled. It is best to cover it with several thicknesses of 
cloth and a tight fitting cover; this will keep out the air and prevent a thick 
crust from forming, which will not mix well with the dough when it is kneaded, 
and will cause streaks or spots in the bread. Grease the bowl in which the 
dough is set to rise. 

Care should be taken in rising bread that it is kept warm in cold weather; but 
not too hot, as that induces the acetous fermentation instead of the vinous, and 
the dough sours; about 70° to 80° is right. Old bread makers preferred a slow 
rise, which they said made a sweeter bread, but later scientific developments 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC). 181 

point towards a quick rising as the best, because yeast being a plant which lives 
and dies, by quick fermentation the plant is living when the bread is ready to 
bake, but by the slower process only the dead spores are left. To hasten the pro- 
cess of rising use plenty of yeast, but do not keep it too hot. The less yeast used 
however, the sweeter the bread will be, because the yeast consumes the sugar 
in the dough, and the more yeast used the more sugar will be consumed. 
Bread keeps better, especially in hot weather, if no milk is used in the mixing; a 
bit of butter or a little lard may be added to the warm water used in mixing the 
bread, which will give it the necessary "shortness" when the milk is omitted. 
When the dough is molded and placed in the pans, allow for its doubling in size 
before baking — that is, make up the loaves to half fill the pans. It should be 
placed in the oven before the pans are quite full of the risen dough, for it rises a 
little after being put in the oven. 

The Bread Pans. — The brick-shaped sheet-iron pans are preferable to any 
others, both in shape and material. Round loaves do not cut in equal sized or 
symmetrical slices, and the untinned iron pans are better conductors of heat than 
those bright with tin. Grease the pan lightly before putting in the bread. The 
bread should not be made in too large loaves, as it is not so sure of being done in 
the center; besides, the smaller loaves furnish slices of convenient size without 
breaking, or cutting in 2 parts, as is sometimes done when the loaves are very 
large; the medium-sized pans or small ones are the best. A loaf is of better 
shape if molded in 2 parts, which after baking come out of the pan as a single 
loaf. One long loaf will be smaller at the ends, and will not cut in nice slices, 
unless the dough is pulled out quite long, and filled in at the ends of the pans. 

The oven should be well heated, and a steady fire maintained during the 
process of baking. An old rule for the heat of the oven, for bread and most 
baking, was to have it so that you could "hold your hand in it while you counted 
12, but no longer," but the sensitiveness to heat in different individuals varies 
and a much better test is to throw a tablespoon of fresh flour on the oven bottom. 
If, after a few seconds the flour remains white, the temperature is too low and 
should be increased. If it burns black quickly, takes fire, or assumes a dark 
brown color, the oven is too hot and must be cooled. If it turns a blackish or 
brownish yellow, and looks slightly scorched, the oven is right. If the oven gets 
too hot and there is danger of burning the bread, put a dish of hot water in the 
oven, and the steam will prevent its scorching; it is better, however, to care- 
fully regulate the heat so that this will not be necessary. The right temperature 
of the oven for baking bread is from 400° to 450°. 

Baking the Bread. — Medium-sized loaves should have from %. to 1 hour's 
time for baking, and should turn out of the pan of a yellowish brown color on the 
top, bottom and sides of the loaf. One test is to thrust into the loaf a straw 
taken from the broom; when it is pulled out, if it is clear from dough the bread 
is done, but if it is sticky the bread should be baked longer. Or, if the loaf is 
baked in 2 parts, break them apart, and press with the finger where broken; if 
clammy it is not done and must be baked longer, but if elastic it is done. If on 
opening the oven door you are met with a cloud of steam which quickly passes 
away, in all probability the bread is done. Bread should reach the temperature 
of boiling water, (212°) clear to the center, but when carelessly baked, even when 
burned on the outside, it sometimes does not do so; in such slack-baked bread 
the yeast germs are not all killed, and the bread is not wholesome. In putting 
the pans into the oven leave space enough between them so that the heat can 
freely circulate around each one. When turned out of the pan, if the sides of the 
loaf look white, while the top and bottom crust is of a good color, turn the loaf so 
that one side will come at the top and the other at the bottom of the pan, return 
it to the oven and finish browning the sides; if this is not done there is danger 
that the loaf will be doughy in the center. An oven too cold will allow the bread 
to rise too much, and cause it to run over the sides of the pans, which detracts 
from the flavor of the bread. If the oven is too hot it crusts over the top of the 
loaf and causes it to crack at the sides; it will also crack at the sides if it has not 
sufficiently risen in the pan before putting it in the oven. Remember then, that 
bread should be thoroughly baked, for slack-baked bread is both unwholesome 
and unpalatable; and also that bread which "doughs" in the mouth will "dough" 



182 BKEaD, BISCUIT, ET(J. 

in the stomach, and hence is very indigestible, because it becomes a sticky mass 
which the digestive fluids do not readily penetrate. 

After the loaves are baked put them where the air can freely circulate around 
them, thus cooling them quickly and carrying away any gas remaining about 
them; do not leave them in the pans. A fine wire frame is sometimes used to set 
them on; or turn the pan bottom upward and place the loaf on it, bottom up- 
ward also. Do not wet the crust or put a wet towel over it; a little butter or lard 
may be rubbed over the crust if preferred, but the moisture from the cooling 
bread will soften the crust sufficiently, and the bread keeps better to be cooled 
quickly. A thin dry cloth may be thrown over if there are flies about. The 
best bread cloths are made from coarse table linen. Do not use them for any- 
thing else, and keep them scrupulously clean. 

Bread keeps best in a tin box with a cover which shuts down tightly to keep 
it from drying out quickly. It must be thoroughly cold before putting it in the 
bread-box, or it will not keep well, and besides the steam from the bread will 
cause the box to rust — two things to be carefully avoided. Do not wrap bread 
with a cloth while in the box, as it is then more apt to mold. If the box is rusty, 
put a plate or platter in the bottom of the box for the bread to rest on. If hot 
bread is put on a wooden table, spread on a cloth before doing so, or the 
part of the bread which touches the table will sweat and absorb the odor of 
the wood. 

Heat the knife when cutting either warm bread or cake, as it then cuts much 
smoother. 

The Bread-Box and Remnants. — On the day of baking, while the bread is 
cooling, take all the old pieces from the box, wash, scald, and thoroughly dry it, 
and let it stand in the sun, if possible, until the bread is ready to go into it. If 
there are pieces of old bread left, use them in some way, by making them into 
toast; or, if not enough for that, put them on a tin and dry them in the oven, 
roll fine, and use them in puddings, griddle-cakes, croquettes, or in escaloped or 
gratinated dishes. Do not allow a particle of the old bread to go back into the 
bread-box with the hew; put it under a pan to keep from drying until it is time 
to use it. It is a good plan to dispose of every particle of old bread before begin- 
ning on the fresh. 

Eating Hot Bread. — Bread made with yeast is indigestible when fresh from 
the oven, or on the day it is baked, because it is full of moisture and the starch is 
held together in masses which are impenetrable to the saliva, and when chewed by 
the teeth it forms into leathery, poreless masses, which lie in the stomach like lead; 
it ripens, however, after being kept a day, and then the particles of the bread sep- 
arate more easily, so that the digestive fluids can more readily come in contact 
with every portion of them. Hot yeast bread, rolls, biscuit, or muffins should 
never be eaten by persons of weak digestion, or by those who suffer from dyspep- 
sia. Some people find bread indigestible which is in the least sour; a little lime- 
water (a teaspoon for each loaf of bread) is sometimes used in mixing the bread; 
the lime-water being an alkali, neutralizes any acid which is generated during the 
process of fermentation. Soda is also sometimes used to correct the sourness in 
bread, but sourness can easily be avoided by proper care, and that is much the 
better plan. 

Mixing Different Flours. — A mixture of % wheat or rye flour and J£ corn- 
meal makes a bread quite as nutritious as either all wheat or rye bread, and more 
digestible, because the lessened quantity of gluten makes it less adhesive and 
more readily penetrated by the gastric juices. 

Using Cornmeal. — In most dishes made with cornmeal the addition of about 
25$ of wheat flour increases the adhesiveness of the mixture, and is an improve- 
ment. 

Baking Powder Bread. — If bread runs short, a tin of baking-powder biscuits 
or a baking powder loaf of bread can be quickly made, and, unless it is eaten too 
hot, there is no danger of dyspepsia, as bread and biscuits made in this way easily 
separate into particles. This can be readily demonstrated by putting a slice of 
each kind of bread on a platter and wetting them with cold water; the yeast bread 
can be taken up whole from the water,. while that made with baking powder falls 
apart immediately. The baking-powder bread is more digestible because it thus 
separates more readily into particles, so that the digestive fluids can easily 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 183 

attack every part, while the other forms a solid, nearly impenetrable mass in the 
stomach. Other advantages of baking-powder bread are that none of the starch 
in the flour is consumed by the baking powder, as is done by yeast, and there are 
certainly no yeast germs in the bread when eaten. 

Using Pastry Flour. — It is a generally safe rule to use pastry flour whenever 
baking powder is used, and patent flour with yeast. A mixture of % spring wheat 
or pastry flour, and % winter wheat or patent flour, gives good results in yeast 
breads, and by many is preferred to the patent flour alone. 

Prepared flour, which has the baking powder already mixed with it, can be 
obtained at grocery stores, or a quantity can easily be prepared at home and kept 
on hand for use. The proportion is 2% to 3 teaspoons of baking powder to the 
quart of flour, taking care that it is well sifted in. 

Adding Sugar and Potatoes. In fermented bread it is best to add a little 
sugar - not enough to produce a very sweet taste, but merely enough to replace 
that which is decomposed by fermentation, and so restore its natural sweetness. 
Some people object to using sugar, but for the foregoing reason it is probably 
better to use a little. Adding potatoes to bread dough, which is sometimes done, 
is unnecessary with the best grades of flour, but with the inferior grades it im- 
proves the bread. 

The Principles Involved.— As the making of bread is the most important method of 
cooking grain food, let us examine the process a little and find the principles involved. 
Grinding the grain removes the indigestible bran, and by reducing it to a powder it vastly 
increases the surface exposed to the action of the water and yeast. The water when added 
causes the expansion of the starch cells, and it also gives an agreeable consistence to the 
bread after it is batted. Each grain of flour should be surrounded by a thin film of water; 
a white, powdery kernel of unmixed flour is sometimes seen in bread when this is not done. 

Adding a little salt not only causes the dough to rise better in the oven, but probably it 
enables the albuminous matter to set more readily, and thus helps to prevent the inflated 
dough from collapsing before the baking is complete. It also acts as a condiment and sup- 
plies the system with hydrochloric acid and soda which are insufficiently supplied by nat- 
ural foods. 

In leavened bread the dough is subjected to fermentation before it is baked, by intro- 
ducing leaven or yeast. The yeast cells, which are very much smaller than the grains of 
flour and are dissolved in the water or milk, should be brought into contact with every part 
of the flour, and by the kneading, a small quantity of air is introduced which favors the 
subsequent fermentation. When the yeast is well mixed in, the action of fermentation is 
set up equally in all parts of the mass, but, if not well mixed, there will be an accumula- 
tion of gas in some places, and little or none elsewhere. After introducing the yeast the 
dough is set aside to ferment and it is put in a warm place because moderate heat stimu- 
lates the process— about 70° to 80° is right. During the process of fermentation millions of 
small bubbles of carbonic acid gas are generated, and these bubbles permeate the mass-. 
These bubbles of gas, being very light, naturally rise, but they are held in by the tough, 
elastic and sticky gluten, and so they lift the whole mass and cause itto "rise" or increase 
in bulk. If it was not for this adhesive gluten, the gas would readily escape without lift- 
ing the bread, and it is becau-e cornmeal and oatmeal lack gluten, and so are not "sticky" 
enough, that they do not make good bread. To have good bread, it should undergo 2 fer- 
mentations, (1) the saccharine (or sweet) fermentation, and (2) the vinous. It will smell a 
little like foaming beer in this stage. A third, or acetous fermentation would follow, but it 
should never be allowed to reach this stage. Should this happen.it can be remedied by 
adding 1 teaspoon of soda for each qt. of water or 4 qts. of flour used, because soda being 
an alkali, will neutralize any acid which has been generated, but the bread will not after- 
ward be as healthful or nutritious. Bre id raised but once is coarse of grain but sweet to the 
taste. The risen dough is baked in an oven at a temperature varying between 320° and 572°; 
the alcohol and carbonic acid gas are expelled, the yeast germs are (or should be) destroyed 
by the heat, and various chemical changes are effected. The starch granules are mostly 
ruptured and intimately connected with the gluten, a portion of the starch near the suiface 
is converted into dextrin, and a little caramel is usually produced. It is this conversion of 
the starch into dextrin which makes the crust more easily digested than the center — a fact 
which some people do not understand. This turning of the starch to dextrin is the same 
thing which takes place when bread is toasted, as we have explained under toast. More of 
the starch is turned to dextrin in the crust than in the center because it is heated more. 
The evaporation of the water inside the loaf while baking, keeps down the temperature 
there to a! out 212°. 

Sometime before the cooking is complete the generation of carbonic acid gas will stop, 
but by that time a hard crust should be formed which will prevent the dough from falling. 
Flour mixed with water and baked, without being made to "rise" by using yeast or baking 
powder, would be solid and almost impenetrable by the digestive fluids, and therefore very 
indigestible, but the expansion caused by the carbonic acid gas. separates the particles of 
gluten, and leaves the bread full of little holes, into which the digestive fluids readily 
enter, and so attack the bread in every part. 

It will be seen that, as a resultof the foregoing processes, bread differs in many import- 
ant respects from the flour from which it is made. In leavened bread the albumen is co- 
agulated, the starch cells are ruptured; a portion of the starch is turned to sugar, and part 
of that is decomposed into carbonic acid gas and alcohol, and part is turned to dextrin 
and maltose, and a little caramel is often produced. The alcohol generated by decompos- 
ing the sugar is all evaporated before the bread is fully baked. 



184 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

YEAST. 

Three Hour Yeast. — Take 1 cup of flour, % cup of sugar, 3 tablespoons of 
salt; pour over this 1 pint of boiling water; let it cool, then add 1 cup of bop 
yeast. After this gets light, take 3 qts. of mashed boiled potatoes, and 3 qts. of 
warm water and add to the other. It will be ready for use the next day. Then 1 
qt. of this yeast and 1 qt. of warm water will make 6 loaves of bread. With this 
yeast, bread will rise in 3 hours and the bread can be baked the same day, which 
is quite an advantage. 

Hop Yeast. — Take 1 qt. of water, steep a small handful of hops in it, and when 
it has boiled for a few minutes strain this water on 6 grated potatoes; then boil 
them until clear, say 20 minutes, stirring all the time; if the potatoes are large, 
and the paste becomes too thick, add a little more water; while it is boiling, stir 
in % cup of sugar and a tablespoon of salt; when it has cooled so that it is luke- 
warm, add a teacup of yeast; let it rise over night, then stir it down, and put in 
the yeast jar; cover tightly and set it in the cellar. This yeast usually keeps 2 
weeks in hot weather, and longer in cold. A coffee-cup of this yeast, and 2 qts. of 
warm water or milk, with a little salt, and lard or butter, will make 6 or 8 loaves 
of bread, according to the size of the pans. 

Potato Ball Yeast. — Take a pint of finely mashed boiled potatoes and have it 
as dry as possible; add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Soak 1 
fresh yeast cake in as little water as possible, and when the potato is cool add 
the yeast; mix thoroughly, and set it in a cool place for 2 or 3 days. When you 
wish to set bread to rise, have about as much fresh mashed potato, with sugar 
and salt added, as you took at first; mix this thoroughly with the first, then di- 
vide it in half; roll up one half in a ball for the next baking; add the^other half to 
water sufficient for sponge for the bread. 

Milk Yeast or Rising'. — Take 1 pint of new milk; in the morning add % * ea " 
spoon of salt; stir in, and beat for % minute, 2 tablespoons of flour; then place 
the pitcher in a kettle of warm water, and where it will keep warm, but not hot 
(about 110°). It takes about 5 hours for it to rise. Instead of milk, water is 
sometimes used, and then it is called salt-rising. Mix the rising with a quart of 
warm water and a little salt; make a stiff sponge, and let it rise again; then mold 
and put in the pans to bake. 

Yeast Cakes. — Take common home-made yeast, and when the fermentation 
ceases stir in enough cornmeal to make a dough. Roll out, cut in squares, and 
dry thoroughly. Do not dry in the oven as the heat will kill the yeast germs; 
choose a dry day to make them, and dry in the shade rather than in the sun. 
Keep them where it is shady, but where the air circulates freely; they will keep 
indefinitely. 

On examining yeast under a microscope it is found to consist of a collection of small 
oval cells, of a vegetable nature, known as yeast cells, or yeast plant. It is really a living 
plant, and if this was well understood many mistakes in its use could be avoided. Ex- 
tremes of heat and cold kill it, and an unfavorable temperature will check its active 
growth, even though it may not be hot or cold enough to kill or prevent its growing in 
future under more favorable conditions. The better the food suits the yeast the faster it 
grows. Rough usage will also prevent its growth. Under favorable conditions it grows 
very fast, as much as will lie on a 25 cent piece will fill a cup in 1 or 2 hours. Given a little 
good yeast and any amount more can be grown. People talk about keeping yeast, but it is 
only kept as one year's corn is kept to be sown for the next year's crop. Yeast as it grows 
converts into sugar some of the starch with which it comes in contact, and this sugar it de- 
composes into alcohol and carbonic acid gas, and it is to this action that it owes its value, 
because the carbonic acid gas thus formed will permeate the mass and cause it to "rise." 
The yeast plant can live in a temperature ranging between 30° and 170°, but it thrives best 
between 70° and 80°. Good yeast is yellow, or greyish-yellow in color; the more brown it is 
the more dead germs there are. A blue line sometimes appears ; it is due to mold, and bread 
made from such yeast will soon become moldy. Yeast with a pungent odor, and which is 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 185 

foamy and full of bubbles is good; if it has an acid odor and looks watery it has spoiled. 
Potato starch is the best for the growth of the yeast plant, and old potatoes are preferable 
to new for the reason that there is more sugar in them. If all the starch cells in the flour 
or potato used are broken by boiling, the yeast acts on them more readily. 

Salt and sugar are added to aid the fermentation. The office of hops or ginger when 
used is to keep the yeast from souring, which they do by stopping the fermentation before 
all the sugar is decomposed into alcohol, and if too much is not used they give it a pleasant 
flavor. Tin or iron vessels may turn the yeast dark, but this can be prevented by mixing 
with a wooden spoon in an earthen vessel, and boiling the potatoes and hops in a non-me- 
talic kettle, either granite or porcelain lined. Of the 3 kinds of yeast in common use— 
liquid, dry and compressed— each has its advantages, and any kind is good which makes good 

BAKING POWDER. 

8 ounces cream of tartar. 4 ounces baking soda. 4 ounces of corn-starch. 

Powder the ingredients and sift them together several times, as the chief 
danger of failure lies in not having them well mixed. This baking powder will 
do all that can be done by any baking powder on the market. The U. S. Depart- 
ment of Agriculture has fully tested and recommends this powder, their chemist 
saying in his official report: "The consumer can pay full retail price for the 
ingredients and still make it up for about % the price at which a good baking 
powder is sold, and if she makes sure of the quality of her cream of tartar, she will 

have an article of which the purity is assured I can see no reason why all 

housekeepers should not make their own baking powder." 

Baking powder should always be mixed with the flour before adding the other 

ingredients. 

The action of baking powder consists in the fact that when wet with water the alkali 
(soda) and the acid of which it is composed will effervesce, and in so doing will give off car- 
bonic acid gas ; this operates in the same way as the gas generated by yeast — that is, it per- 
meates the mass of dough and causes it to "rise" or swell up. The action of the bakingpow- 
der will soon be over, however, and if the bread or pastry is not baked at once, the gas 
which it generates will escape, the dough will settle down in a solid mass, and the whole 
value of the powder will be lost. To succeed when using baking powder or soda 2 things 
are essential: (1) The baking powder (or soda and cream of tartar) must be thoroughly 
and perfectly mixed with the flour. (2) After the raising agencies have been wet so 
that they begin to work, push the operation rapidly to completion; and when all is 
ready bake without delay. After the soda and acid are mixed to form the baking powder 
they do not acton each other as long as they are kept dry; the only reason for adding 
starch or flour is to absorb moisture and keep them dry. As soon as they are wet the 
action begins. Baking powder can be made by using only \i as much starch as we give in 
the above formula, or with even less; the powder will then be a little stronger, but it will 
not keep as well, so that for ordinary use we prefer the proportions there given. If you 
cannot get pure cream of tartar use tartaric acid instead, as that is less often adulter- 
ated. It answers the same purpose, but use only l A as much. People as a rule will not 
tire of yeast bread as quickly as they will of soda bread, and inferior materials can be 
used with yeast better than with baking powder. 



BREADS. 
White Bread. — Take 1% quarts of milk and scald it till the top is covered 
with a thin skin, by setting it over a good fire in a double boiler; then pour it 
out and let it cool after adding 1 oz. butter; now add 1 cake compressed yeast 
dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water. After it has cooled, add 1 tablespoon of 
salt, and about X% quarts of flour, (or enough to make a good batter) and for 5 
minutes beat energetically; then set it in a warm place to rise over night, cover- 
ing it with a cloth. The next morning early, while it is still in the bowl, work in 
with the hand about 4 pints of flour (or enough to form a good dough); then take 
it out on to the bread-board and knead 15 or 20 minntes. Sufficient kneading is 
essential to the quality of the bread, so work it till the dough is soft and the gas 
thoroughly distributed through it. Then put it back in the bowl and set it in a 
warm place till it becomes quite light (about 3 hours probably). Shape into 
loaves and put intb the pans, and bake when risen, pricking with a fork to let out 
any gas within the loaf. 



186 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

Water Bread. — Mix together X% quarts of bread flour and 1 teaspoon of salt; 
rub in 1 teaspoon of butter until fine like meal. Soak a whole yeas,t cake in ^ 
cup of lukewarm water, and mix the liquid with the dry mixture; add enough 
more flour to make it stiff enough to knead, and, when well kneaded, place it in a 
bowl, cover it well, and set it to rise for 3 hours; then cut it down, shape into 
loaves, place in buttered pans, let it rise again, and bake about 50 minutes. If 
the bread is set to rise at night, use 34 of a yeast cake, but as we elsewhere 
explain the latest investigations point to a quick rising as best. 

Entire Wheat Bread. — Scald 1 pint milk, add % cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of 
salt; after it has cooled, add 1 yeast cake dissolved in 34 cup of lukewarm 
water, and 4l% cups of fine granulated wheat; mix well with a broad knife or 
spoon, cover, and set it to rise for about 3 hours, or until it doubles its bulk; then 
cut it down, turn it into buttered pans, let it rise again, and bake about 50 
minutes. Whole or entire wheat bread is mixed soft, or only stiff enough to 
handle with a spoon or knife. Entire wheat bread is more crumbly than white 
wheat bread. 

Entire Wheat Bread No. 2. — Take 4 even cups of entire wheat flour, and 1 
cup plain white flour (before sifting), %ois, compressed yeast cake (dissolve it in 
lukewarm water), 1 tablespoon of butter (before melting), 34 cup of molasses; 
stir in lukewarm milk and water to make it less stiff than for white bread; beat 
and stir, but do not knead it; turn into a greased baking-pan, let stand till light, 
and bake. 

Entire Wheat Bread with Baking Powder. — Take 2 pints flour, 3 teaspoons 
baking powder, 1 saltspoon of salt; mix thoroughly, and then stir in 2 cups cold 
water; turn into a well greased baking-pan, and bake 1 hour. 

Half and Half Bread. — A very nice bread is made by using 3 cups each of 
white flour and granulated or entire wheat flour; add the other ingredients and 
mix as directed in the last recipe. 

'Entire, wheat is sometimes called graham, but is not exactly the same, as it has all the 
nutritive part of the grain without the silica in the bran, which is like powdered glass, and 
often irritates the stomach and intestinal canal. Always buy the best graham and entire 
wheat, as the cheaper grades may be sittings mixed with third rate flour. Before measur- 
ing entire wheat flour, sift it, not to remove the bran, but to make it lighter; if unsifted 
the measurements will not be accurate. If graham or entire wheat bread is moistened 
with molasses, do not set it to rise over night, for you will then surely have an acetous 
fermentation. As entire wheat flour is much more nutritious than clear white flour, its 
more extended use is very desirable. 

MJXK BREAD. 
1 tablespoon sugar. 1 tablespoon butter. 1 teaspoon salt. 

1 pint scalded milk. 1 yeast cake. 6 to 8 cups flour. 

The amount of flour will depend on the kind used, or the amount of gluten 
in it, and it may vary from 6 to 8 cups. Use enough to make a suitable dough. 
Mix in the morning, and when light make into loaves, after kneading 15 minutes. 

Baking-Powder Bread. — Sift together thoroughly 1 quart flour, 1 teaspoon 
salt, % teaspoon sugar, and 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder. Then add 
enough water to make a stiff dough (about 2 cups, more or less, according to the 
flour) and stir it together quickly with a large spoon; then turn it immediately 
into a well-greased, brick-shaped baking-pan, and bake at once for % hour in a hot 
oven, covering with paper the first 34 hour, to prevent its crusting over too soon. 
Have the oven heated right before beginning to mix the bread, and have the pan 
greased and< ready. 

Once-Raised Bread. — Have the bread-bowl warm, if it is an earthen one, and 
the weather cold; put a piece of butter in it the size of an egg, and a tablespoon 



MEAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 187 

of salt; then pour over it a qt. of hot milk and water; stir cold flour into it, until 
it is a batter that can be beaten with a spoon, and beat well for a minute; then 
add a cake of compressed yeast mixed with a little cold water. The batter at this 
time should be lukewarm; wait a little for it to cool if it is too hot, but the cold 
flour usually makes it just right; beat in the yeast another minute, then place a 
pan of flour on the back part of the stove, put both hands in it and stir constantly 
from the bottom of the pan, until the flour feels warm all through; then stir into 
the batter enough to make a stiff dough — cutting in the flour with the spoon — do 
not knead it; put a little flour on the top and press it down flat all around the 
spoon with the back of the fingers. Set the bowl or pan over a kettle or tin pail 
of hot water on the cooking table, cover with a cloth, and let it rise up light, 
which will be in 3 hours; stir down once, let it come up again, take it on the 
molding-board, with a little flour, and knead 10 minutes; make in 3 small loaves, 
let them rise to twice their former bulk, and bake nearly an hour. Bread mixed 
in this way, as late as 10 o'clock, will be out of the oven by 3 in the afternoon, 
making a delicious bread with little trouble. 

Milk, or Salt-Rising Bread. — Early in the morning (the earlier the better) mix 
in a pitcher a pint of warm water, or J^ water and % new milk, with flour enough 
to make a thin batter. Put the pitcher in a kettle of warm water, and keep it at 
an even heat — about 70° to 80°. Cover the pitcher with a saucer, and in about 5 
hours it will begin to rise, (not frothy, like hop yeast, but with very fine bubbles) 
then add 1 qt. of water with a little more salt, and mold in flour to make a soft 
dough, and put. it in 3 brick-shaped baking-tins to rise. When it has risen to 
nearly twice its bulk in the pans, it is ready to bake. This bread requires great 
care in making, and much time. It gives off a disagreeable gas while rising, but 
that is all driven off in the baking, leaving a fine-grained, most delicious bread. 

Buttermilk Bread. — Take 2 cups sour buttermilk, warm it, and add 1 cake of 
yeast and 1 teaspoon soda (scant); add 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 ta- 
blespoon butter and form to a soft dough with warm flour; knead well, let it rise, 
knead again, put in greased tins, let rise and bake. 

BROWN BREAD. 

2 cups cornmeal. 1 cup rye meal. 1 cup Graham flour. 1 cup molasses. 

1 cup milk. 1 cup water. 1 teaspoon soda. A little salt. 

Bake 2 hours in a covered tin. 

BROWN BREAD NO. 3. 

2 cups sweet milk. 2 cups sour milk. 4= cups cornmeal. 2 cups flour. 

1 cup molasses. X A cup sugar. 2 teaspoons salt, scant.2 teaspoons soda. 

Steam 3 hours, and bake 3^ hour. 

BROWN BREAD NO. 3. 

3 cups sour milk. Vs. cup molasses. 1 cup graham flour. 

2 cups cornmeal. 1 teaspoon soda. A little salt. 

Steam 3 hours and bake % hour. If the milk is very sour, use % sweet milk. 

BROWN BREAD NO. 4. 

1 cup sour milk. Yi cup molasses, scant. 2 tablespoons brown sugar. 

2 cups graham flour. % cup wheat flour. 1 large teaspoon soda. 
1 teaspoon salt. 

Steam 1% hours, and bake % hour in a slow oven. 

Boston Brown Bread. — Take 1 cup each of cornmeal, rye meal and graham 
meal; mix all three together; mix in 1 cup molasses, 3 cups rich sour milk, 1 des- 
sertspoon soda, 1 teaspoon salt. Put it in a covered pail, leaving room for it to rise, 



188 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

set it in a kettle of cold water, putting a ring under the pail to keep it from burn- 
ing; boil 4 hours, and do not once let the water stop boiling, and do not remove 
the cover till done. Excellent. 

Boston Brown Bread No. 2. — Take 2 cups cornmeal, and the same of either 
rye or graham flour; sift together with 1 teaspoon salt; add 1 cup molasses, % cup 
sour milk or cream, 1 teaspoon soda (dissolved in a little boiling water); mix all 
well and add 1% cups cold water; pour into a well-greased pan and steam 4 hours. 
It will look thin when ready to steam, but will come out all right. 

Corn Bread. — Warm 1 pint of milk, stir in enough cornmeal to make a thin 
batter, add % CU P shortening, 3 eggs, 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder; heat 
the tins it is to be baked in, and bake quickly. It is splendid, and bakes promptly. 
As a rule corn bread requires a longer time to bake than either graham or wheat 
bread. 

Com Bread No. 2.— Mix % CU P cornmeal with 1 cup white flour, and add 1 
teaspoon salt. Beat together till light, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons sugar; add 3 table- 
spoons melted butter, and % cup sweet milk; then stir in the above flour mixture, 
beat smooth and add 2 teaspoons baking powder. Put into greased pans, and 
bake % hour in a moderately quick oven. 

Steamed Corn Bread.— Take 2 cups sour milk, 2 cups cornmeal, 3^ cup white 
flour, 4 tablespoons molasses; 2 teaspoons soda, a little salt; steam 1% hours, and 
bake % hour. 

WHITE CORN BREAD, SOUTHERN. 

2 cups white cornmeal. 1 tablespoon baking powder. 1 teaspoon sugar. 

1 cup white flour. 1 teaspoon salt. Butter size of an egg. 

Use milk or water to make a soft dough; bake in a loaf, or if preferred, in 
shallow baking-tins. 

Kentucky Egg Corn Bread.— Take 2 pints cornmeal, 3 cups buttermilk, 1 or 2 
eggs, 1 teaspoon soda (scant), 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon lard; mix well, and 
bake quickly. 

Rice Bread. — Boil lib. rice till tender in water or milk (milk is best) and mash 
it; then with the hands, rub the rice into 4 Bbs. flour, in the same manner that 
butter is rubbed in, mixing it thoroughly; add 3 teaspoons sugar, 1 tablespoon 
salt, and 1 cake compressed yeast dissolved in 2 pints lukewarm milk or water; 
have the dough soft to the touch, knead thoroughly, and let it rise; then knead 
again thoroughly, form into loaves, put into greased pans, let rise, and bake in a 
good oven. Excellent, especially if made with milk. 

Carolina Rice Bread. — Take 3 well-beaten eggs, add 3 cups sweet milk, 2 cups 
white cornmeal, % pint cold boiled rice; 1 tablespoon butter, melted, 1 teaspoon 
salt; beat together well, and add 1 tablespoon baking powder; mix all thoroughly, 
put in greased pans, and bake % hour. 

GRAHAM BREAD. 

3 cups sour milk. 1 teaspoon salt. 1 egg. 

2 teaspoons soda. 1 cup molasses. 

Graham flour to make a stiff dough; bake slowly. 

Graham Bread No. 2. — Make a stiff batter of 1 cup warm water thickened 
with graham flour; add to it % CU P °f yeast, let it rise over night; in the morn- 
ing add a small piece of butter, % cup sugar, and wheat flour to mold; put it in 
well greased pans, let it rise, and bake slowly 1 hour. Graham bread bakes slower 
than white bread. 

Gluten Bread. — Scald 2 cups milk and add, when lukewarm, 1 teaspoon salt 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 189 

and "% cup good yeast; make it to a thick batter by adding gluten flour, and beat 
thoroughly; add the well beaten whites of 2 eggs, and enough flour to make a 
soft dough. Knead (without adding more flour), let stand until light; turn into 
well greased pans, let rise again, and then bake in a moderate oven % hour. 

Oatmeal Bread. — Boil 2 cups oatmeal as for porridge, add % teaspoon salt, and 
when cool, % cup molasses, and % a yeast cake or % CU P yeast; stir in enough 
wheat flour to make as stiff as it can be stirred with a spoon; put it into 2 well 
greased tin pans, and let stand in a warm place till very light; bake about 1)4 
hours. This will make delicious thin slices; butter each slice before cutting it from 
the loaf, and then cut as thin as possible with a very sharp knife. Do not cut 
till the day after it is baked. 

Rye Bread. — Bread made of bolted rye flour is made in the same manner as 
white wheat bread; that made from rye meal is made according to recipes for 
Graham bread. Rye bread is often made with 4 parts rye flour, 1 part cornmeal, 
and a handful of wheat flour. It should bake 2 or 3 hours in a slow oven; or 
steam it 2 hours, and then bake 1 hour. 

Squash Bread. — Take 1 cup stewed and sifted squash, and mix in 2 table- 
spoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; melt 1 tablespoon butter in \% cups scalded 
milk, and when lukewarm, add % CU P yeast, and flour enough to knead; knead 
% hour, let rise till light; knead again, put it into greased tins, let rise again, and 
bake. 

Utilizing Stale Bread. — (1) Bread crumbs can be utilized in so many ways that 
every piece of stale bread and the ends of loaves should be saved and prepared 
for use in the various dishes which call for breadcrumbs. (2) Put the stale bread 
on a baking-tin, and set it on the shelf in the oven where it will dry and slightly 
brown; when thoroughly crisp, place it on the molding-board, roll it finely, and 
keep it in a jar well covered. These are dried bread crumbs and should not be 
used for scalloped dishes or bread puddings, as they absorb so much moisture. 
(3) Stale bread crumbs can be made into griddle cakes; or used in an omelet; or 
used with stewed tomatoes, and in many ways. 

Steamed Stale Bread. — When bread or biscuit become very dry they may be 
steamed a few minutes, which will make them very palatable. Stale pieces can 
be freshened by dipping them in water, and putting them for a few minutes in a 
moderately hot oven. A stale whole loaf can be freshened in this way without 
first dipping in water, although many cooks are not aware of it; for this purpose 
the oven should not be too hot — say 260° to 300° is best. The steam which is 
generated opens out the pores which had shrunk together. Or put a stale loaf in 
a deep pan, cover with another pan, and set in a moderate oven 20 minutes; then 
take from the pan and set on end to cool; it will cut like a fresh loaf. 



BISCUITS. 

Baking-powder Biscuits. — Have the oven hot to begin with, then rub a piece 
of butter the size of an English walnut into a cup of flour, and butter your bak- 
ing-tins. Next put a level teaspoon of salt, and 2 heaping teaspoons of baking 
powder in the flour, and stir it well. Up to this time you can work leisurely, but 
from this onward, work as fast as you can "fly." Add a cup of sweet milk, stir it. 
and add enough more flour to make a soft dough; take it out onto the molding- 



190 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

board, and form it quickly into a round mass; cut it in 2 parts; then 4, then 8; 
give the pieces just a roll in the floured hands, put it in the tin, and bake 8 or 10 
minutes. The oven should brown them top and bottom in that time. Every- 
body likes them. 

Cream Biscuit. —To 1 quart of flour use 2 teaspoons baking powder, a pinch 
of salt, and rich sweet cream to make a soft dough. Bake in a quick oven. 

Beat Biscuit. —Take 2 quarts flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of butter and 
1 tablespoon of lard rubbed in the flour; mix to a stiff dough with water. Beat 
with the rolling-pin until perfectly light, turning and folding as you work; do not 
cut the dough, but break off pieces and form into little biscuits, and bake in a 
quick oven. 

Entire Wheat Beat Biscuit. — Take 1 quart whole wheat flour, 3 rounded table- 
spoons lard, 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup each of water and milk; 
mix thoroughly, lay it on the molding -board, and beat with the rolling-pin until it 
ceases to be sticky; roll out, cut into biscuits (be sure and thoroughly prick each 
one), and bake % hour in a moderate oven. 

For Wafers take some of the dough so prepared, roll thin, butter it, beat 
again, roll very thin, cut out, and bake. 

Raised Biscuit. — Set a sponge of 2 cups milk, a little salt, and % cake com- 
pressed yeast, and let rise; beat butter the size of an egg with 2 tablespoons 
sugar and 1 egg; stir them into the sponge, adding flour to make a stiff batter; 
stir well, let it rise, and when light, take dough enough with a spoon for each 
biscuit, work lightly into shape, put in a pan, let rise, and bake. 

Milk Biscuit. — Rub ^tt>. butter and 1 saltspoon of salt into 2^ lbs. flour; add 
1 cup yeast and enough boiled milk (have it lukewarm when used) to make a tol- 
erably stiff dough; knead well, let it rise over night, knead again in the morning, 
put into greased tins, let rise, and bake in a quick oven. 

Buttermilk Biscuit. — Sift 4 cups flour, add 1 teaspoon soda, % teaspoon salt, 
and rub in 1 tablespoon lard, and 1 tablespoon butter; make into a soft dough 
with buttermilk, roll out, cut out, and bake quickly. 

Drop Biscuit. — Take 1 cup milk, 1 level teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon baking 
powder stirred into 1 cup flour; beat all together, and add enough flour to make 
a stiff batter. Drop in spoonfuls on a buttered tin, and bake quickly in a hot 
oven. 

Drop Biscuit No. 2. — Take 1 quart flour, add 1 tablespoon sugar, % teaspoon 
salt, 3 heaping teaspoons baking powder, and milk sufficient to form a stiff batter. 
Drop in spoonfuls on a buttered tin, and bake in a very quick oven. 

Shortcake Biscuit.— To 4 cups flour use 1 large tablespoon butter, a little salt, 
3 teaspoons baking powder (heaped), and milk enough to roll out as soft as possible. 

Soda Biscuit. — Into 4 cups sifted flour sift 1 teaspoon soda, 2 teaspoons cream 
tartar and 1 teaspoon salt; rub in with the hand 1 tablespoon lard or butter; 
make it into a soft dough with sweet milk. 

Graham Biscuit. — Use 2 cups graham flour, 2 cups wheat flour, 1 tablespoon 
butter, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (or 3 
teaspoons baking powder instead), a little salt; sift the last 3 ingredients into the 
wheat flour, add the graham flour, rub in the butter thoroughly, moisten with 
milk or water to make a dough just stiff enough to roll out; roll thin, cut in small 
cakes, and bake in a quick oven. Double this recipe if the family requires it. 

Tutti Frutti Biscuit, — Mix bits of fruit liberally into the dough of common 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 191 

soda biscuit before baking it, as fruit is put into cake; very nice. Tea rolls are 
nice with fruit put in in the same way. 



BUNS, RUSKS, ROLLS, ETC, 

BUNS. 

Plain. — Use 1 quart flour, 1 large cup warm milk, 34 CU P butter or lard, % 
teaspoon salt, 3^ cup sugar, ~% a grated nutmeg, % a yeast cake (or 3ij cup yeast) 
2 eggs; dissolve the butter in the milk, beat the eggs separate, add all to the flour; 
the dough should be very soft; knead well, let rise over night, and in the morning 
break into pieces the size of a large egg, work them into rather flat cakes, put 
them on a buttered pan, about % inch apart, let rise to double size, then cut a 
cross on top of each bun (not too deep) with a sharp knife, and bake in a moder- 
ate oven about 25 minutes. 

English Buns. — Use % teacup butter rubbed into 1 pint flour, % CU P sugar, 
3^ cup Zante currants washed and dried, 1 level teaspoon salt, 2 cups new milk, 
% cup good yeast; mix all together, and add enough flour to mold into a soft 
dough, let rise till light, mold down again, keeping the dough as soft as possible, 
roll out, and cut with a biscuit cutter. Let them rise till very light in the bak- 
ing-tins, and bake until they are a nice yellowish brown on top and bottom. 
Brush them over to glaze with a little sugar and milk mixed, and return to the 
oven till the glazing dries. 

Cinnamon Buns. — Rub % teacup butter into a coffee cup of flour; add a little 
salt, and a heaping teaspoon of baking powder; then add a coffee cup of sweet 
milk, and enough flour to roll out into a large thin sheet. Spread with soft 
butter, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, roll up, and cut into buns. Bake 
about 20 minutes. 

RUSKS. 

Plain. — Into 1 quart of flour rub a piece of butter the size of a large egg; beat 
2 eggs well, add 2 cups warmed new milk, flavor with a little cinnamon, and add 
% teacup of fresh yeast; mix thoroughly with the flour, but do not mold; let it rise, 
and add a little more flour if too thin to mold, cut in pieces the size of biscuits, 
knead each one separately, place in a buttered pan, let rise till quite light and 
bake. 

Baking Powder Rusk. — Sift 2 tablespoons sugar, % teaspoon salt, and 1 table- 
spoon baking powder into 3 cups flour, and then rub in 2 tablespoons cold lard; 
add 2 well-beaten eggs, 2 cups sweet milk, 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and nutmeg 
extract; mix into a dough soft enough to handle, and turn out on the mold- 
ing-board; turn quickly once or twice to smooth it, break off pieces about the 
size of an egg, roll into small balls with the hand, and lay close together in a well 
greased baking-tin. Wash over the top, to glaze it, with a little milk and melted 
butter mixed; bake % hour in a moderate oven. Sift fine white sugar on top 
when cold. 

BRIOCHES. 

Dissolve % a yeast cake in 3^ teacup of lukewarm water; mix with enough 
flour to make a thick sponge, cover with a cloth, and let rise in a warm place till 
it doubles in bulk; then add 3i£ teacup milk, 5 eggs, 1 saltspoon salt, and 3^ Bb. 
dissolved butter; beat all together well, add flour to make a dough, and let rise 
again 1 to 1% hours; then turn on to the molding-board, flour as little as pos- 
sible, and roll the sides over into the middle several times, Then form into tiny 



192 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

loaves, laying 1 flattened ball of dough on to a little larger loaf, making an in- 
dentation for it in the center of the lower one with the thumb. Brush over with 
white of egg, and bake in a quick oven. 

BOLLS. 

French Rolls. — Rub 1 ounce butter in 1 quart flour; mix in 1 beaten egg, a 
little yeast, and as much milk as will make a rather stiff batter ; beat well, but do 
not knead, let rise, and then bake in tins. Very nice. 

Coffee Rolls. —Take 1 quart of light dough, mix in 1 tablespoon of lard and % 
cup of sugar; then roll thinner than biscuit, spread with butter, sugar and cin- 
namon, and sprinkle a little flour over. Roll up 2 turns and cut off, standing 
them on end in the tin; let rise, and bake in a quick oven. 

Graham Rolls. — Mix 4 cups graham flour with enough milk to make a stiff 
batter; add % cup good yeast and let rise over night; in the morning add 1 large 
tablespoon sugar, 2 eggs, butter size of an egg, 34 teaspoon soda, and a little salt; 
put it ip cups and let stand 20 minutes before baking. 

Parker House Rolls. — Make a hole in 2 quarts of flour, and pour in 1 pint of 
milk which has been boiled and % cup butter or lard melted in it and allowed to 
cool; add 34 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and % cup good yeast; let it stand over 
night without mixing; in the morning, mix and knead; let rise till after dinner, 
when knead again, roll 3^ inch thick, cut out, and let rise till baked. Bake about 
M hour. 

CRACKERS. 

Plain. — Into 2 quarts flour rub well with the hand i cup butter, and 1 teaspoon 
salt; wet with cold water, beat thoroughly with the rolling-pin, and work in flour 
enough to make quite brittle and hard; then pinch off pieces, and if you want 
them to look like baker's crackers, roll each piece separately. 

Corn- Starch Crackers. — Sift together 3 cups flour, 1 cup corn-starch, % tea- 
spoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon baking powder; rub into this 1 
tablespoon lard, and add 1 cup sweet milk, mixing it to a smooth dough; slightly 
flour the bread-board, turn out the dough, and get it into smooth and even form 
with as little kneading as possible; then spread a clean towel over it and let it 
stand 10 minutes. Then roll very thin with the rolling-pin, cut with the cutter, 
prick with a fork, and put them on a greased baking-tin; wash the top of the 
crackers over with milk, and bake 8 minutes in a very hot oven. These make a 
delightful accompaniment for salad. 

Graham Crackers. — Sift 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder and 1 even tea- 
spoon salt into 4 cups sifted graham flour; rub in % cup butter or lard, and make 
into a stiff dough with sweet milk or cold water; knead 10 minutes, using white 
flour to prevent its adhering to the board; roll thin, cut in squares, and bake in a 
moderate oven. 

GRAHAM DIAMONDS. 

To 4 cups graham flour add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and pour on 
boiling water to scald thoroughly; work into a soft dough, roll out % i ncn thick, 
cut into diamonds with a sharp knife, and bake 30 minutes in a quick oven, or till 
crisp. 

JOHNNY CAKE, PONES, ETC. 

JOHNNY CAKE. 

Use 1 cup sour milk, 3 tablespoons molasses, 1 egg, ~% teaspoon soda; add corn- 
meal sufficient to make a thin batter, 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 193 

Johnny Cake No. 2. — Use 1 egg, }& CU P sugar, a little salt, 1 cup milk, 1 tea- 
spoon cream tartar, % teaspoon soda, 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup white flour; bake in 
a shallow pan in a quick oven. 

Fruit With Johnny Cake.— Dried fruit, such as raisins, currents, etc., added 
to johnny cake, is a pleasant addition for a change. 

CORN AND GRAHAM JOHNNY CAKE. 

3 good cups cornmeal. Vi cup molasses. 1 quart sour milk (part of 

2 good cups graham flour. 3 tablespoons melted butter. -which, may be sour cream 
1 good cup white flour. 2 heaping teaspoons soda. if it is to be had), 

3 eggs. 1 good teaspoon salt. 

SPIDER CAKE. 

This, as the name implies, is baked in a spider, or short handled frying-pan. 
Beat 2 eggs very light, add 1 cup sour milk, and 1 cup sweet; stir into this 2 cups 
cornmeal, and a handful of flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon each of salt 
and soda; mix, and beat thoroughly, and then pour it into the spider, which 
should be already hot and well greased. After the butter is in the spider, pour 
over it 1 cup sweet milk, but do not stir it into the batter. Bake in a hot oven 
% hour. Take it from the pan on to a plate, being careful not to break it. 

Rice Spider Cake. — Use 1 cup boiled or steamed rice, 1 cup yellow cornmeal 
(the granulated is best), 2 cups sweet milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon bak- 
ing powder, and 1 level teaspoon salt; mix all thoroughly, and add at least a 
handful of flour. After beating in the flour, put the batter in a hot buttered 
spider, or short-handled frying-pan, and bake in a hot oven % hour. The batter 
must be thin enough to "run" a little, but not as soft as for griddle cakes. If 
needed to make it thinner, when the flour is added, put in a little more milk; if 
too thin add a little more flour. 

FLORIDA CORN CAKE. 

1 egg. 1 teaspoon salt. 2 cups -white cornmeal. 

1 cup milk or -water. 1 teaspoon sugar. 1 tablespoon baking powder. 

1 tablespoon salt pork fat. 

Mix all thoroughly, and bake in 2 thin cakes. 

Corn Pone.— Into 2 cups boiling meal mix 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon 
sugar; scald with 2 cups boiling water, and let stand till it swells and becomes 
lukewarm; then add a % oz - cake of compressed yeast dissolved in a little cold 
water; if too stiff reduce it with warm water to a consistency sufficient to retain 
its form; then put it in the baking-pan, let rise 4 or 5 hours, and bake in a moder- 
ate oven till thoroughly done. Pone should be eaten fresh and warm, but is very 
nice toasted, after it is a day old. 

Florida Pone. — Mix 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt, into 2 
cups of white cornmeal. Mix with sufficient water to make a thick batter, and 
beat in a tablespoon of hot salt pork fat. Make in a thin cake, and bake until 
well browned. Delicious with meat. 

Hoe Cake. — Into a mixing-bowl put & cups white cornmeal and 1 teaspoon 
salt; make it to a stiff batter with hot water, stirring it all the time. Have a pan 
of cold water ready, moisten the hands, and then with the hands press a table- 
spoon of the batter into a round, thin cake. Bake on a griddle over the fire, or 
on an oak board before an open fire, thoroughly baking first one side and then 
the other. Pull apart when done, butter, and serve hot. 

Baked Buckwheat Cakes. — Mix in the mixing-bowl % cup buckwheat flour, 1 
cup white flour, and 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder; add ^ cup light brown 
sugar, 1 egg wel ! beaten, and 3 tablespoons melted butter or lard; tnix i-\\ to- 
gether well, and add enough sweet milk to make a batter that will pour and 

13 



194 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

spread slowly, but not as thin as for griddle cakes; bake in a deep tin in a rather 
hot oven, allowing plenty of room for it to rise. Eat hot with butter. Try this 
once and you will be surprised at its quality. By using cornmeal instead of the 
buckwheat a fine corn cake is made. 

Corn Dodders. — Into a mixing-bowl put 1 pint white cornmeal; scald by add- 
ing just enough boiling water to moisten the meal, stirring it all the time; work 
in 1 tablespoon butter or lard, and when cool add 1 well-beaten egg, 1 teaspoon 
salt, and 2 tablespoons milk; mix well, put by spoonfuls into a large, well-greased 
baking-pan, and bake brown on both sides. 

Indian Bannock. — Mix 1 cup boiling milk, % pi Q t cornmeal, 1 teaspoon each 
of salt and sugar; when partially cooled, add 2 eggs, beaten separately; bake in a 
very hot oven in a shallow earthen dish; serve like a pudding, in the dish it is 
baked in. 

Green Corn Patties. — For every cup of grated green corn allow 1 egg, "% cup of 
milk and 1 cup of flour; 1 teaspoon of baking powder should be well mixed with 
the flour. Stir all together until well mixed, then bake in buttered patty -pans. 
This recipe can be doubled, if the family to be served requires it. 



GEMS, MUFFINS, SCONES, ETC. 

Wheat Gems. — Beat 1 egg light, add 2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon salt, and 
granually beat it into 2 cups wheat flour; put it into hot, well-greased gem-pans, 
and bake about 20 minutes. 

Wheat Gems No. 2. — Use 2 cups sweet milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons 
baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt; flour to thicken. 

GRAHAM GEMS. 

2 cups sour milk. 1 egg. 1 teaspoon melted butter or drippings. 

1 tablespoon molasses. 1 teaspoon salt. 

About 2 teacups graham flour. Have the gem-pans hot; butter and fill % full. 
Bake in a quick oven. 

Graham Gems No. 2. — Use 2 cups sour milk, 3 cups graham flour, % teaspoon 
soda; beat together a few minutes, drop it into hot, greased, gem-pans, and bake 
in a quick oven 10 or 15 minutes. 

MUFFINS (White Flour). 
Vi cup sugar. 2 eggs. 1 cup milk. 

2% cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. Butter the size of an egg. 

Bake in cups, or hot gem-pan. Very good. 

Muffins No. 2. — Into 3 cups flour sift 3 teaspoons baking powder, and a little 
salt; add 2 eggs and 2 cups milk; bake in a hot oven in rings or gem-tins. 

Tea Muffins. — Work butter the size of an egg into 2 cups flour; add % tea- 
spoon salt, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 even teaspoons baking powder, and stir 
together thoroughly; beat 1 egg, add to it 1 cup milk, mix it with the flour quickly, 
and bake in a hot oven. This will make 1 cake in a brick-shaped baking-pan; 
then cut in squares with a hot knife. 

Buckwheat Muffins. — To 1 pint of sour milk and cream mixed, add 1 even tea- 
spoon each of salt and soda, and make a stiff batter with buckwheat flour. Bake 
in a square tin, in a hot oven, about % hour; cut in squares, and serve hot, with 
fried salt pork, and milk gravy made in the fat. This can also be made with the 
prepared buckwheat flour, by making a stiff batter with sweet milk, salt and 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 195 

shortening; put in a hot gem-pan, and serve with butter, or milk gravy. A good 
breakfast dish. 

GRAHAM MUFFINS. 

3 cups graham flour. 2 tablespoons sugar. 1 teaspoon salt. 

1 cup white flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Mix all together. Then take a piece of butter the size of an egg and put it 
into 1 pint of sweet milk; set it on the stove until the butter is melted; when 
cool, mix all together with 2 eggs, and bake. 

GRAHAM MUFFINS NO. 3. 

2 cups graham flour. 2% cups sour milk. 1 tablespoon sugar. 

1 cup white flour. 1 tablespoon melted shortening. 1 tablespoon soda. Salt. 

Cornmeal Muffins. — Use 1 egg, 1 cup sweet milk, 2 cups granulated yellow 
cornmeal, 1 cup white flour, 1 level teaspoon salt, butter size of an egg, 2 tea- 
spoons baking powder. Butter the gem-pan and have it hot before putting in the 
batter, bake % hour in a hot oven. 

Cornmeal Muffins No. 2. — Use 1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 cup cornmeal, 1 
,cup flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, % tablespoon butter, % teaspoon salt, milk 
to make a stiff batter. 

Raised Muffins. — To 2 cups scalded milk, add butter or dripping the size of an 
egg, and 1 teaspoon salt; when lukewarm add %oia, yeast cake dissolved in ~% 
teacup warm water, or % teacup of liquid yeast; add 1 egg and about & cups 
flour, or enough to make a batter that will drop easily, remembering that it is 
thinner after rising. Beat all well together, let rise till light, and bake in buttered 
muffin rings on a gridle, or in a gem-pan. Do not stir it down before baking; 
mix at night for breakfast, and in the morning for supper. 

Rice Muffins. — Use 1 cup cold boiled rice, 2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 
1 tablespoon butter, 1 quart milk, or enough to make a thin batter; bake quickly. 

Rye Muffins.— Sift together 1 cup wheat flour, % cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cream 
tartar, 3^ teaspoon soda, % teaspoon salt, add 1 cup rye meal (not flour); beat 1 
egg, add 1 cup milk, add it to the other ingredients, beat well, put in hot, greased 
muffin tins, and bake 20 minutes in a quick oven. 

Gluten Muffins.— To 1 egg, beaten light without separating, add 1 pint milk, 
1 teaspoon salt and 1 pint gluten flour; beat well, add 2 teaspoons baking powder, 
pour into well -greased, hot muffin rings, and bake in a quick oven % hour. 

Entire Wheat Muffins.— Mix together \% cups wheat flour, 2 tablespoons 
sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder; sift them into a bowl. Then 
beat 1 egg till light, and add 1 cup milk and % cup of water; pour this on to the 
first mixture, and beat rapidly and energetically. Have buttered muffin-pans 
ready, pour in the batter, and bake in a rather quick oven about 25 minutes. The 
batter will be thin, and the muffins moist, but that is right. 

English Crumpets. — In 3 cups lukewarm milk, put 1 saltspoon salt, and % a 
yeast cake dissolved, or % cup liquid yeast; let rise till light, and add 2 table- 
spoons melted butter, and a trifle of flour to keep the batter from becoming too 
thin; stir in hard, 1 saltspoon soda, let stand % hour, and bake in patty-pans, or 
muffin-rings. 

Graham Crumpets. — Dissolve % cup butter in 1 quart scalded sweet milk,' and 
when cool, add 1 cake compressed yeast (soaked in a little water), 1 teaspoon salt, 
and 2 tablespoons sugar; add enough graham flour to make a rather stiff batter, 
and beat hard a few minutes; let rise over night in a warm place, and in the 
morning add 2 well-beaten eggs; put in buttered gem-tins, let rise till light, and 
bake in a moderate oven. 



196 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

SAIXY LUNN. 

2Ya cups flour. H cup sugar. 3 tablespoons butter (melted). 

1 egg, well beaten. 1 cup sweet milk. 1J4 teaspoon cream tartar. 

% teaspoon soda. 

Bake 20 minutes in muffin-rings, or in square pie-pans. 

Cornmeal Scones.— Mix 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 
1 tablespoon of sugar into 1 pint cornmeal; rub in with the hand 1 tablespoon 
butter; make it into a batter that will drop from a spoon (not pour) with cold 
milk; bake like ordinary muffins in muffin-rings on a griddle. 

Scotch Scones. — Into 2 cups flour sift 2 small teaspoons baking powder; rub 
in with the hand 4 tablespoons butter, adding a little milk to bind the paste; 
flour the bread-board and pin, roll out % inch thick, cut into small 3-cornered 
pieces with a sharp knife; bake in a quick oven on a baking sheet, taking out as 
soon as they are lightly and evenly colored. 

Oatmeal Cakes. — Use 2 cups of oatmeal, 2 tablespoons shortening (either butter, 
beef fat, or saltpork fat). Rub the fat into the meal; add cold water enough to 
make a dough. Mold until smooth, roll out thin, cut into rounds or squares, and 
bake quickly in a hot oven. 

Oatmeal Cakes No. 2. — Stir oatmeal with cold water, making a thick paste; 
salt to taste. Make into little round cakes, about % inch thick, in tin bake-pans, 
and bake in an oven not too hot. Excellent. 

Pop Overs. — Use 1 cup of milk, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, a pinch of salt; beat the 
white and yolk of the egg separately until very light, then beat all well together, 
and bake in a quick oven. 

Breakfast Puffs. — Use 1 cup milk, 1% CU P S flour, 2 eggs, % teaspoon salt; 
beat 5 minutes, and bake in gem-pans. 

Bread Puffs. — Take light bread dough, roll out about % inch thick, cut with a 
biscuit-cutter, drop into boiling lard, and turn over very quickly. 



GRIDDLE CAKES. 

To Keep Buckwheat Batter Sweet.— Cover with cold water the batter left 
after you are done baking cakes; drain it off carefully at night before stirring up 
fresh batter; the batter settles at the bottom, while the water absorbs the acid, 
thus keeping the batter sweet and fresh. 

A Substitute for Maple Syrup. — Take 2 cups light brown sugar and 1 cup of 
water and boil until a nice thick syrup; then flavor with a teaspoon of vanilla, 
when nearly cold. Nice with griddle cakes and hot biscuits. Use other flavor- 
ing if desired. 

Fruit Syrup. — Dissolve in water 1 level teaspoon of corn-starch, put into 1 pint 
tart fruit juice, and add 1% cups sugar. Excellent for hot griddle cakes and 
puddings. 

Caramel Syrup, a recipe for preparing which we give elsewhere, is fine with 
griddle cakes. 

Tt is said that a common iron griddle, ground down smooth on a grindstone and then 
polished with fine sandpaper on a flat piece of wood, is superior to a soapstone griddle, and 
can be used without grease. 

If buckwheat batter has a small spoonful of molasses added to it each morning, it will 
give the cakes a fine brown color. Grease the griddle evenly, and do not leave pools of fat 
to burn and taint the cakes. Turn the griddle often, to keep it evenly heated on all sides; 
have it hot enough, so the mixture hisses or sizzles as it touches it. Do not turn the grid- 
dlecakes mo-o than o -iC3, as that will make th3 :i hv<; :y. 

Apple (JriMle Cakes. -Put 1 cup finely caoppel apple in 1 quart of any grid- 
dle cake batter; distribute it evenly by stirring with the spoon every time a spoon- 
ful is taken out. 



BEEAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 197 

Buckwheat Cakes. — Use 1 quart buckwheat flour, % cup cornmeal, 1 table- 
spoon salt, & tablespoons yeast, 1 tablespoon molasses (not syrup); mix with warm 
water enough to make a thin batter, and let rise over night in a warm place. If 
the batter is the least bit sour in the morning, a little soda should be added, and 
if not sour, a very little soda will make them more light and tender. 

Quick Buckwheat Cakes. — To 2 cups of buckwheat flour, add 2 teaspoons 
baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or New Orleans 
molasses instead); when ready to bake, add 2 cups cold water, or enough to make 
adbatter, stirring as little as possible after it is stirred smooth. Wheat flour, corn- 
meal, or graham flour, may be added, if desired. 

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes. — Use 1 pint cornmeal, % pint sour milk and 1 tea- 
spoon soda in the milk, stirred until it foams, 2 eggs beaten until light, salt to 
taste; have the griddle hot and well greased. About 1 tablespoon of wheat flour 
added to the cornmeal is an improvement. 

Cornmeal Griddle Calces No. 2. — Use 1 cup sweet milk, or cold water, 1 egg, 
2 cups yellow cornmeal, x /% cup flour, 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Strawberries and Griddle Cakes. — If you want a delightful dish, use hot 
cornmeal griddle cakes, strawberries, sugar and cream, and combine them sand- 
wich fashion. 

Stale Bread Griddle Cakes. — Soak 2 cups stale bread crumbs for 1 hour in 1 
quart of milk which has been made boiling hot to pour over them; beat 2 eggs till 
light, yolks and whites separate; into the soaked bread-batter put first the beaten 
yolks, then 3 ounces flour, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 scant teaspoon salt; beat 
thoroughly, and then stir in very lightly 2 teaspoons baking powder and the 
beaten whites. Grease the griddle with salt pork fat, and bake quickly in small 
cakes. These are about the lightest and most digestible griddle cakes that are 
made. 

Oatmeal Griddle Cakes. — Use 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 
1 teaspoon baking powder, % teaspoon salt; sift the baking powder in with the flour; 
add cold water to make a batter the consistency of buckwheat cakes; beat 
together well, and bake immediately. 

Graham Griddle Cakes.— Use. % graham and % wheat flour; mix with sour 
milk, or buttermilk, and soda (1 small teaspoon soda to 1 quart milk); add a pinch 
of salt and 1 egg. Bake immediately on a hot griddle. 

Rice Griddle Cakes. — To 1 cup boiled rice add % CU P milk, the yolks of 3 
eggs, 2 tablespoons flour and a little salt; then beat the whites of the eggs to a 
stiff froth, stir them with the other ingredients and fry as soon as possible after 
they are added, on a hot, buttered griddle. These are light, digestible, and 
especially nice for invalids. 

Raised Griddle Cakes. — At night scald 1 cup white cornmeal with 2 cups boiling 
water; while warm stir in 2 cups flour, 2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 
and 2 tablespoons yeast; let it rise over night, and in the morning add 2 eggs, a 
little salt, and % teaspoon baking powder; if too thin, add cornmeal till it is of 
the right consistency. 

Squash Griddle Cakes.— Into 1 cup boiled and sifted squash (use dry, mealy 
squash) pour % pi n ^ boiling milk; add 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons butter, % 
teaspoon salt; let it cool and add 1 well-beaten egg, and 1 cup flour into which 2 
teaspoons of baking powder have been sifted. If too thick, thin with milk; add 
more flour if too thin. 

Pease Griddle Cakes can be made the same way, by using instead of the 



198 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

squash, 1 cup pease which have been boiled, mashed, and passed through the 
squash strainer. 

Flannel Cakes. — Make a batter with y 2 pint milk; and 3^ pint flour with 1 tea- 
spoon of soda sifted into it; beat in 1 teaspoon melted butter, a little salt, and 1 
egg; add more milk if the batter is too thick; bake on a griddle. 



WAFFLES. 

Grease the waffle iron thoroughly, as, if the waffles stick it is hard to clean. 
Use salt pork fat, or butter wrapped in a thin clean cloth. Heat the iron well, both 
sides, grease it and only fill about % full, leaving room for them to rise; cook one 
side a minute, then turn and cook the other. They will take longer to bake than 
griddle cakes. Butter as soon as done, and sprinkle on powdered sugar, or serve 
with lemon syrup, maple syrup or caramel sauce. 

Waffles No. 1. — Into 4 cups flour sift 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon 
each of sugar and salt; add 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1 cup either sweet or 
sour milk; if the latter, use 1 teaspoon soda. 

No. 2. — Use 2 cups buttermilk, flour enough to make a rather thin batter, 1 
teaspoon each of salt and soda, 1 egg; stir the milk, flour and salt together, sift 
the soda in the batter, beat yolk and white separately, and add the white last. 
Have the waffle irons very hot, and well greased, before putting in the batter. 
Salt or water will cause the waffles to stick to the irons; the batter is also apt to 
stick if sour. If the milk is very sour a little more soda than the above can be 
used. Some people use sweet milk, and prefer it. 

Raised Waffles. — To 2 cups flour add 2 cups milk and 5 tablespoons yeast; let 
rise over night, and in the morning add 2 teaspoons melted butter, % teaspoon 
salt, and 2 eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately. * 

Corn-Starch Waffles.— Make a batter with 2 cups (heaped) corn-starch, 1 scant 
cup sugar, 2 eggs, a little lemon flavor, adding milk as needed; warm the molds, 
butter them out and fill, close them, place on the fire, then turn them over; repeat 
this until they are evenly baked; dust sugar over them when done. 

Cornmeal Waffles. — Take the beaten yolks of 3 eggs, 2 pints sour milk or but- 
termilk, and enough cornmeal to make a batter a trifle thicker than for griddle 
cakes; dissolve 1 teaspoon soda in warm water, stir it into the milk, and add a 
little salt. Use % wheat flour if they break in pieces while cooking. 

Rice Waffles. — Use 2 eggs, % cup boiled rice, 1% cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking 
powder, butter the size of a walnut, a little salt, 134 cups milk; mix well and bake 
immediately. 

Rice and Cornmeal Waffles. — Use 2 well-beaten eggs, ~% pint cold boiled rice, 
3^ pint cornmeal, % pint wheat flour, % teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 
2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 cups milk; beat together thoroughly before baking. 



MUSHES, TOAST, SANDWICHES, ETC. 

MUSHES, ETC. 

As the grain of which mush is made is coarsely ground, in order to cook the 
starch properly and soften the cellulose, long boiling is required. Thorough 
cooking is the most important point connected with its preparation. 

Cornmeal Mush. — Have the water boiling, and nothing short of boiling, with 
sufficient salt in the water for seasoning. Stir in the meal gradually, sifting it 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 199 

slowly through the fingers of the left hand while stirring with the right. Use a 
kettle with a rounding bottom. Do not make it too thick if it is to be eaten with 
milk, or with sugar and milk for dessert. If it is to fry, 1 or 2 handf uls of flour 
added at the last will improve it. Mush should cook very thoroughly ; after it is 
thickened enough set it on top of the stove where it will cook slowly 1 or 2 hours; 
stir often. 

No. 2. — Mix 1 cup cornmeal and 1 teaspoon salt to a paste with a little cold 
water; then pour on 2 pints boiling water, put it in a double boiler, and boil 4 or 
5 hours. If the water cooks away add more boiling water from the teakettle. 
There is no danger of its burning in the double boiler. Anything will cook faster 
in the double boiler, if the water in the lower boiler is strongly salted. 

Fried Mush. — Put the mush in brick shaped baking-tins used for bread, and 
when cold and solid cut in slices. The old way has been to fry the slices on a 
spider or on a griddle with salt pork fat. A better way is to cut the slices a little 
less than % inch thick; dip them in beaten egg, roll in cracker or bread crumbs, 
and fry like doughnuts in hot fat. Oatmeal or other mushes may be fried in the 
same way. 

Green Corn Mush. — Take corn on the cob when the milk is just set, grate it, 
and make mush in the ordinary way; eat in milk. Excellent. 

Oatmeal Mush. — Put % P^t oatmeal and 1 teaspoon salt into the double 
boiler; add 4 cups boiling water, set the upper part of the boiler on the stove and 
boil 4 or 5 minutes to start the cooking; then put it into the lower boiler and 
cook 3 to 5 hours; salting the water in the lower boiler makes it cook faster. It 
is often cooked so that the grains are whole, but it is not then so easily digested, 
nor so pleasant in flavor. It should be thin enough to pour when done, and should 
cool into a jelly-like consistency. Serve with sugar and cream, tart jelly, apple 
sauce or baked apples. 

Graham Mush. — Use a little cold water and mix to a thin paste % pint graham 
flour and 1 teaspoon salt; stir in 4 cups boiling water, and cook like oatmeal 
mush, but it does not need to cook so long. Just before taking graham mush 
from the fire, stir in stoned dates, and you will find it makes a very nice pudding. 

Buckwheat Mush. — Mush made of buckwheat flour is made in the same way 
as cornmeal mush, but requires less cooking. When cold it can be fried, if de- 
sired, like cornmeal mush. 

Gluten Mush.— Use 2 cups boiling water to 1 cup gluten; cook like graham 
mush. It does not thicken because it contains no starch. 

Rye Mush. — Cook as directed for graham mush. It is served with molasses 
often. 

Hominy Mush. — Cook in the double boiler 3 or 4 hours as directed for oat- 
meal mush, using a little over 4 times its bulk of water, and salt to taste. (For 
the long cooking absolutely necessary with corn preparations, the double boiler 
is much the best thing to use.) It can be eaten in bowls with milk, or for dessert 
with hard sauce. When cold, it can be fried as directed for cornmeal mush. 

Cracked Wheat.— Pick over % P m ^ cracked wheat, put it in a double boiler, 
add 1 teaspoon salt, and 3 cups boiling water, and cook it 2 or 3 hours. It cooks 
best in a double boiler. Serve with sugar and cream. It can, if desired, be 
poured into cups or jelly-molds, wet with cold water, and so molded. 

Farina. — Into 2 cups boiling water, put % saltspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons 
farina; let it actually boil in a sauce-pan 20 minutes, or cook 1 hour in a double 
boiler. Serve with sugar and milk or cream. 



200 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

Gramila. — To 1 cup granula add 1 teaspoon salt, and 1% cups boiling water, 
and boil 10 to 15 minutes; this is better than to boil it 1 minute in milk as is often 
recommended. It is a preparation of grain prepared by dry heat, and is cooked 
nearly enough when bought. 

Wheat Germ. — Use 1% cups boiling water, % teaspoon salt, and % cup wheat 
germ, and boil 30 minutes in an uncovered sauce-pan, or 1 hour in a double boiler; 
it is doubtful if it is wholesome cooked in the short time directed on the pack- 
ages. Imperial Granum can be prepared the same way. 

Hulled Corn. — Soak a quart of yellow corn overnight; the next morning pour 
off the water and put the corn in a kettle of hot water containing a cheese-cloth 
bag, holding a pint, or a little more, of clean wood ashes. Boil until the hulls 
begin to come off, then pour off the lye; rub the corn well in cool water to remove 
the hulls, then boil again in clear water until soft; changing the water once or 
twice to take out the taste of the lye as much as possible. Hulled corn is eaten 
with milk like mush, and like mush it is fried when cold. 

Hasty Pudding. — Into 2 cups cold milk, stir 2 cups cornmeal, 2 teaspoons flour, 
1 teaspoon salt; gradually stir this into 4 cups boiling water, and boil 30 minutes, 
stirring it frequently. It can be fried when cold as directed for cornmeal mush. 

TOAST. 

Simple as the process of making it seems, perfect toast is very rare. Good 
toast should be crisp and golden clear through, not brown outside and clammy in 
the center. Use stale bread, cut even slices about % mcn thick, heat them grad- 
ually at first, so that the heat may penetrate to the center of the slice and evap- 
orate the water before the outside is crusted over; dry it carefully, and, when well 
dried, move it near the coals (which should be clear 'and red), and it will quickly 
turn a golden brown. 

Toast is often eaten which is cut in thick slices, browned outside, and left clammy in 
the center. Such toast is less wholesome than untoasted bread, and is wholly unfit for 
invalids, although healthy stomachs may cope with it. Wellmade toast is very easy of 
digestion, and well suited for invalids, because starch, when heated to 401°, is turned to 
dextrin, and that is much more easily digested than the starch. The object should be to 
turn as much of the starch as possible to dextrin, and clear through the bread, not merely a 
little on the outside. A little caramel is also developed usually in toasting bread. Some 
people prefer toast soft inside and browned outside," because they say it is easier to eat, but 
if you will try it you will find good, dry toast easily breaks and crumbles ■ apart, and is 
readily moistened by the saliva. For invalids always instead of leaving toast soft inside, it 
is better to toast the bread well, and then dip it in hot water for an instant to moisten it, but 
dc not soak it. If possible, serve dry toast directly from the fire; if not, pile it on a plate, 
lay a napkin over it, and set it in the oven, or on the hearth to keep warm. Be careful not 
to burn the outside while toasting bread. For ordinary use (not for invalids) the thicker 
slices of bread, less perfectly toasted, can, of course, be eaten by those who prefer them.. 

Water Toast. — Prepare a pan of boiling hot water, adding always 1 teaspoon 
salt to the quart of water. Dip in each slice of toast quickly; moisten the toast 
merely, but do not let it soak, as sloppy, sodden toast is not good. Butter each 
slice and pile them on a hot plate. Apple sauce, baked apples, poached eggs, 
and minced meats go with this kind of toast. 

Milk Toast. — For plain milk toast, toast the bread, and pour 3 or 4 tablespoons 
of boiling salted milk or cream on each slice. The toast can be buttered or not, 
as preferred, before pouring on the hot milk. Crackers can be split, toasted, and 
prepared the same way. Or, scald the milk, add for each pint 1 tablespoon corn- 
starch, or flour dissolved in a little cold water, 1 teaspoon butter, and % teaspoon 
salt; prepare the toast, moisten it, dip each slice in the hot, thickened milk, put 
all in a dish, and pour the balance of the thickened milk over it. Serve hot. 

Cream Toast.— Put 2 cups milk into a sauce-pan and bring it to a boil; while it 
is heating, put 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour in another sauce-pan, stir 
them together gently while the butter is melting, and then let them bubble 2 or 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 201 

3 minutes together; then add the hot milk, a little at a time, stirring it in well 
till it is smooth and free from lumps; let it simmer while preparing the toast. 
Toast the bread, soak it thoroughly in salted boiling milk (as the cream will be 
too thick to soften it), put it in a dish, and pour the prepared cream over and be- 
tween the slices. 

Meringued Toast. — Prepare a meringue by dissolving 1 teaspoon butter in % 
cup boiling milk, and just before taking it from the tire, stir in the well-beaten 
white of 1 egg; pour this over freshly-toasted bread, which has been dipped in 
slightly salted water; put it in the oven 5 minutes, and delicately brown the me- 
ringue. 

Vermicelli Toast. — Pass the yolk of hard-boiled eggs through a coarse strainer; 
it will fall out in broken threads, looking something like vermicelli; scatter it 
over cream toast. 

Toasted Graham Gems. — Split the gems, toast nicely, and while they are toast- 
ing, heat some rich milk to the boiling point, add a little salt, butter, and thicken 
with flour moistened with cold milk, and pour over the toasted gems. Gems left 
one day may be thus utilized for the next day's breakfast. 

Strawberry Toast. — Toast thick slices of bread, butter them, and pile them 
with alternate layers of strawberries, crushed and sweetened as for shortcake, 
with strawberries on top; serve with cream, at once and while hot. 

SANDWICHES. 

Bread for sandwiches should be one day old, and a brick-shaped loaf is the 
best. Cut the crust from the end, then spread the end of the loaf evenly with 
softened butter, or compounds of butter, seasoned meat, etc., if desired, then with 
a sharp knife cut the buttered slice from the loaf. In this way the bread is not 
broken, as it is apt to be if very tender, when spread after slicing. Spread and 
cut in this way until the loaf is used. Place two of the spread slices together, 
press firmly, and trim in any way liked. They may be cut in rounds or heart- 
shaped with biscuit cutters; the crust may be trimmed off and the sandwiches 
cut from corner to corner, making triangles; or for ordinary occasions they may 
be left untrimmed, as many persons prefer them with the crusts. 

For hearty, hungry children, nothing is better for luncheons, picnic refresh- 
ments, etc., than sandwiches. Spread evenly the end of a loaf of good home-made 
bread, a day old, then cut it off % i nc h thick, spread another slice with butter, 
place boiled ham, cold tongue, roast beef or chicken, on one slice, cover it with 
another, and press tightly together; roll each one in buttered paper, or all together 
in a clean napkin. To keep them moist until eaten, put them after wrapping, 
into a tin pail, and cover tightly. 

If the meat used for filling sandwiches is chopped fine it will be much more 
convenient to eat. In putting up sandwiches for picnics, etc., it will add to 
their appearance to tie them with ribbon in packages; a different colored ribbon 
can be used effectively for each kind of sandwich. 

Although it is a little more trouble to make them, sandwiches can be improved 
both in appearance and flavor by cutting thin slices of bread into small square, 
oval, or round pieces, and frying them in smoking hot fat to a light golded brown; 
then drain on blotting paper. These pieces can be made into anchovy, lobster, 
egg, salmon, chicken or other sandwiches, piled high on plates with bright green 
parsley around the base. Such sandwiches are admirably adapted for evening 
parties, and will be more appreciated than second and third rate sweets. 

Mustard or Anchovy Butter for sandwiches may be prepared as follows: For 
mustard butter, take soft butter the size of an egg, and 2 tablespoons of good 
mustard, put them in a stone mortar and work them together with the pestle till 
perfectly mixed. For anchovy butter take the same amount of butter and 1 tea- 
spoon of anchovy paste, and work them together in the same way. Same pro- 
portions for larger quantities. 



202 BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 

Aberdeen Sandwiches. — Put in the chopping-bowl cold meat, either of veal, 
ham, beef or poultry, and chop it very fine; for 1 teacup of chopped meat, add to 
it a piece of softened butter the size of an egg, a little pepper and salt, with 1 or 
2 spoonfuls of water to slightly moisten it, and 1 teacup of fine bread crumbs; chop 
and mix all to a paste. Take a bit of the mixture on the molding-board, and 
with a knife wet in hot water, form it into a strip about 3 inches long and 2 wide. 
Trim off the edges, detach it from the board with a knife, and roll into an oblong 
shape. If it is too dry to roll without cracking, add a little more water; if too 
wet, add more bread crumbs. These are served with lettuce, or cresses. 

Anchovy and Egg Sandwiches. — Bone anchovies, steep them in milk for 2 hours 
and chop fine; also mince hard-boiled eggs very fine; sprinkle the chopped egg on 
a slice of buttered bread, cover with the anchovy, add pepper and a layer of mus- 
tard and cress, and lay on the other slice of buttered bread. 

Baked Sandwiches. — Sprinkle salt and pepper on thin slices of cold meat, put 
them between thin slices of bread, form them into a pile 5 or 6 inches high, fasten 
them together with a skewer, and brown them until the bread is crisp, in a hot 
oven, first basting them with melted butter. 

Cheese Sandwiches. — Mix together 34 1°- of grated cheese, and % teaspoon each 
of pepper, salt and mustard, add 1 tablespoon each of vinegar and melted butter, 
make it to a paste, and spread it thin on the buttered bread. 

Egg Sandwiches. — (1) Put between buttered slices of bread moderately thin 
slices of hard-boiled egg, seasoning them with salt, pepper and nutmeg. (2) Chop 
the whites of hard-boiled eggs very fine; mash the yolks, and mix with melted 
butter, salt and pepper. If not smooth enough, add thick cream. Spread the 
paste on the bread. 

Fish Sandwiches. — Use any kind of cooked fish, chop it finely, make it into a 
soft paste with butter, and season it well. 

Ginger Sandwiches. — Use the preserved ginger which comes in small jars; cut 
very thin, and put between slices of buttered bread. Cover with a damp napkin 
until ready to serve. 

Ham Sandwiches. — Boil the ham the day before, slice it as thin as possible, and 
lay it between the thin, buttered slices of bread. Spread on a little mustard, or 
not, as preferred. Chopped ham sandwiches can be made by chopping the ham 
as fine as grated cheese, and making it to a paste with melted butter, or butter 
and cream, or beaten egg, as preferred, with mixed mustard, pepper, and a little 
finely chopped pickle. Then spread the paste on the bread. 

Honover Sandwiches. — To the well-beaten yolks of 2 eggs, add %Db. best but- 
ter, 3 tablespoons mixed mustard, a little pepper and salt; beat all together very 
smoothly, and set on ice. Spread it on thin slices of bread, and put between the 
slices very finely chopped tongue and ham, to which a little chicken or roast 
beef is added. This makes a delicious sandwich. Thin slices of pressed beef 
may also be used. 

Labette Sandwiches. — Spread Devonshire cream on thin buttered slices of 
broivn bread; then spread on apricot jam, being careful that there are no lumps 
in it, then lay on another slice of buttered bread, and press together. 

Lettuce Sandwiches. — Put crisp lettuce leaves between thin slices of buttered 
bread; serve as soon as possible after preparing. Add a mayonnaise dressing if 
preferred. Various Sandwiches can be thus made by using instead of the let- 
tuce, the plumed tops of young white celery; or nasturtium leaves; or young 
dandelion leaves; or peppergrass; or water-cress ; and so on. 



BREAD, BISCUIT, ETC. 203 

Lobster Sandwiches. — Pound together in a mortar until quite smooth % lb. 
lobster meat, the yolks of 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 oz. butter, 5 capers, pepper, salt, 
and cayenne to taste. Spread thinly on slices of bread and butter, sprinkle with 
a very little chopped mustard and cress, if liked, cover with another slice of bread 
and butter, cut neatly, and serve. 

Salmon Sandwiches. — Drain all the oil from canned salmon, remove all skin 
and bone, reduce it to a paste, season, spread some on one slice of buttered bread, 
squeeze lemon juice over it, and lay on the other buttered slice of bread. 

Sardine Sandwiches.— (1) Drain the sardines from the oil, put them in hot 
water a few minutes which will take out the grease, drain them, dry in a cloth, 
and pound to a paste; season with salt and pepper, add a little very finely chopped 
lettuce, and spread it on the bread. (2) Chop the fish fine, add a few drops of 
lemon juice, and cover the buttered bread with it. 

Tomato Sandwiches. — (1) Spread a French dressing over the buttered slices of 
bread, and put slices of tomatoes between them. (2) Put potted beef on the 
lower buttered slice, lay on thin slices of tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, 
and lay on the top slice. 

Various Sandwiches. — A little ingenuity will invent an almost endless variety 
of new and attractive sandwiches. We suggest a few more. (1) Prawns or 
shrimps may be used instead of lobster. (2) Fresh caviare spread on bread and 
butter, with a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of cayenne, and if liked, a little minced 
salad, is excellent. (3) Slices of cucumber, dressed with oil and vinegar, make a de- 
licious sandwich. (4) Use yolks of eggs pounded with butter and Parmesan cheese. 
(5) Make pate de foie gras sandwiches, with or without water-cress. (6) Make 
salmon or shrimp sandwiches with mayonnaise sauce and minced salad. (7) Put 
kippered salmon in thin shreds between slices of broivn bread and butter. (8) 
Vary any sandwich by using mayonnaise, bechamel or other sauce. 



PASTRY. 



Notwithstanding the frequent denunciations of pastry for its unhealthf ulness, 
people will eat pie, and a thorough knowledge of pastry-making is indispensable 
to the economical housewife. To succeed in this, certain rules must be remem- 
bered and implicitly carried out. The excellence of puff paste depends upon the 
quality of the materials used, the lightness of hand and dexterity of the operator, 
and the coldness of the materials. The hands should be washed very clean, and 
then dipped into very hot and then into cold water. The mixing-bowl 
should also be filled with hot, and then with cold water, which makes it smooth 
and prevents the butter from sticking. The slab or board for working upon 
should be smooth, clean and dry. A marble slab is better than a board because 
it keeps the pastry cooler, but few can command this, and a board is more fre- 
quently used. 

The Flour. — The flour used should be of a fine quality, and should be thor- 
oughly sifted, dried and chilled. For making paste a starchy flour is better than 
one rich in gluten, and that is what is meant by pastry flour. Although eggs are 
commonly used in paste, they are really not necessary, and a good paste can be 
made without them. The butter should be of good quality and pliable, or it will 
not mix properly with the pastry. Work it in clear, cold water, to free it from 
salt and buttermilk, and the pastry will then be more delicate; then keep it 
cold until used. 

Method of Making Paste. — The method of making paste is as follows: For 
the best paste use 1 Bb. of butter to 1 lb. of flour (if measured use 2 pints flour to 
1 pint butter). Take 1 K>. of the washed butter, flatten it out, press it on all sides 
to remove the moisture, keep out about 2 or 3 oz. and put the balance in a floured 
cloth on ice till needed. Now put the 1 lb. of sifted and chilled flour into the 
mixing -bowl, keeping out about 2 oz. for sprinkling the board with, put in the 3 
oz. of butter and 1 small teaspoon of salt, and the eggs if they are used, and with 
the tips of the fingers work them into the flour. Many chop these ingredients 
together to avoid heating them with the fingers. Add a little ice cold water 
occasionally, and keep mixing until a perfectly smooth paste is formed. A cup- 
ful of water, more or less, will be needed. When the paste is of the right con- 
sistency, and forms a smooth ball, dust the board lightly with flour, and remove 
the paste on to it, and pound it lightly with the rolling-pin to toughen it. Then 
roll it out about 3^ inch thick, always using a well-floured rolling-pin, and 
rolling from you. Then take the cold butter and roll it out in the same way, only 

smaller, and lay it upon the paste, 
and fold the ends of the paste over 
the butter as shown in Fig. 1. (The 
butter is sometimes cut into 3 
pieces and only 1 piece worked in 
at a time, but the method would be 
the same.) Then turn it bottom up 
on the board, and roll it out care- 
fully, using a light, quick stroke, 
and being careful not to break the 
paste, as the aim should be to 
keep all the air possible inside, to 
assist in making it rise. If by 
accident the dough breaks, lay on 
a piece of plain dough (a little 
plain dough may be kept out for 
this purpose), dust on flour, and go 
on with the rolling. Roll it out 
into a sheet about % inch thick, 
FIG. 1, paste folded oveb the butter, and fold % of it over on to the 

(204) 




PASTRY. 



205 



balance, and then the other side over on to that, making 3 layers about 3 
times as long as it is wide, as shown in Fig. 2; then turn it, and fold it lengthwise 
into 3 thicknesses as shown in Fig. 3, when it will be ready for rolling out again. 
This is known as the "first turn." 

In lifting the paste at any time let it roll up on the roller, then lift it gently, 
dust a little flour on the board, and gently unroll the paste the way you want 
it to lie, having the side which was next the roller come next the board. The 
process just described as the "first turn" should be repeated 3 or 4 times for com- 
mon pies, and 6 or 7 times for the best pastry, but should be repeated until 
no streaks of butter can be seen. The more layers there are the more "flaky" it 
will be. To keep the butter evenly distributed so that the paste will rise evenly, 
it is folded in an opposite direction each time, and after each "turn" it is laid 
with the top of the paste on the board, thus turning it over. It is customary in 
warm weather (it is a good plan at any time) to put it on ice for 5 or 10 minutes 

between each "turn." This may be done 
by putting it in a long, floured pan, put- 
ting it on ice, and then set another pan 
filled with ice on top of it, thus having 
ice both above and below. The top tin 
should not be heavy with ice, as only a 
little ice is needed. Tins are best, because 
dishes would not conduct heat readily 
enough to cool the paste quickly. After 
making the last "turn," roll the paste out 
about 34 inch thick, and cut it in shape 
for pies, patties, etc. Some cooks think 





PIG. 2. ROLLED PASTE FOLDED OVER. FIG. 3. PASTE AFTER MAKING A "TURN." 

that the shortest route from the flour barrel to the bake oven is the best for 
pastry, and others prefer to set the paste aside in a cold place and bake next day. 
Skillful cooks obtain good results either way. From first to last the paste 
should be kept as cold as possible. 

If not ready to bake at once when made up, keep the paste in the ice-chest 
until wanted. We knew of one lady who had a long, slim glass bottle which she 
filled with ice-water and used for a rolling-pin. Pastry should be rolled lightly, 
the rolling-pin often lifted and but little pressed upon, so as not to force out 
the air. 

The point to aim at in making puff paste is to have as many alternate layers 
of butter and dough as possible, and to have each layer so light and thin that in 
baWnr T *.t w : !l v:c- o separately. The pn^te : vi!l be difficult to miria^e, nnd h failure!, 
\jio.j* ,i;\ ti iu ij eliiier too dry a.; 1 sti;}" or soft and ft- :•: . ' " ,;*'. -r .-.;,, is 
the least c.ainp, the paste malo from it may bo he. vy The icos Aor- used in 
rolling the paste the better, as if an excess of flour is used the Cakes will be pale, 
thick and tough, if not absolutely flat and heavy, and the baking will be much 
slower. Using coarse and heavy flour may produce a similar result, and so may 



206 PASTRY. 

Blow and heavy handling, a warm or irregular temperature when working, or 
faulty baking. 

The Butter. — If the butter is not right, rapid handling, partial freezing, an 
extra sprinkle of flour and a little cream of tartar may keep the flakes separated 
until the oven is reached and the baking begins; it will bake sharp and crisp with 
a quick heat, but the butter will fry out and cover the flakes of paste and they 
will be found greasy to the touch when removed from the oven. Do not suppose 
that if the butter and paste are not in the best condition possible the amount of 
the butter can be reduced in the finishing process of rolling together; there will 
be fewer layers of paste, the quality inferior and the quantity less. 

For some dishes a rich crust is neither so digestible nor so suitable as a sub- 
stantial light one, and a light, quick, cool hand will influence the lightness of the 
pastry as well as the quantity of butter used. 

Baking-Tins. — For baking, tin plates should always be used, as the under 
crust will be apt to not bake well in anything earthen; the crust will readily sep- 
arate from the pan when done. It should then be taken off the plate at once, or 
the under crust may get "soggy." Grease pie-tins well before laying on the crust; 
for some kinds of pastry they are wet with water instead of being greased. 

The Oven. — The heat of the oven is important. If too hot, the top will become 
scorched before the pastry is risen; if too cold, it will melt, spread, and the paste 
become heavy and sodden. It is best, therefore, to keep the pastry out until the 
oven is right. Experience will guide in this, but a good plan is to try the heat of 
the oven first with a small piece of paste; the heat should be strong enough to 
cause the cold air in the paste to expand, and so make it rise, and then quickly 
set it in the form given by this expansion of the air. The heat should be strong 
underneath at first, to make the paste rise well before browning on top; then turn 
the heat from below, or to prevent burning, put a grate or pan under the baking- 
tin, and quicken the heat on top. To bake it a delicate brown, 15 minutes is 
usually enough. The pie should slip on the tin when' done. 

The Two Crusts. — In making pies with an upper crust always make small 
holes in it to allow for the escape of steam, or that will burst the crust. These 
holes may be made in any fanciful shape desired. An excellent plan is to use a 
rich paste for the top crust, and a plainer one, with much less shortening, for the 
under one. Have the under crust a little the thicker. If there is no upper 
crust, have a heavy edge on the pie. Mixing the white flour with %to% its bulk 
of cornmeal is said to make pie crust lighter and more digestible. A fine brown 
color will be given to the upper crust of pies if, just before putting them in the 
oven, they are brushed over with milk. 

To Prevent Juice From Running Out. — To prevent the juices of fruit pies 
from running over, which is so annoying to cooks, various plans have been em- 
ployed. (1) Mix the sugar with a little flour and spread this over the bottom • 
crust before putting in the fruit. (2) In all fruit filling stir the flour into the 
fruit, so that all the fruit may be covered, instead of sprinkling it on top. Also 
avoid having too much fruit in the pie, and add no water, as the fruits make their 
own juice. (3) Have a pie-tin deep enough to allow a wall of crust deep enough 
to hold in the juice. (4) Make a small tube of writing paper about % inch in 
diameter, and let it set through the upper and rest on the under crust. The juice 
will bubble up in this instead of running out. (4) Fasten the upper crust se- 
curely by turning the edge of it under the under crust, first wetting the latter 
with a little beaten white of egg or water. Sometimes the white of egg is used, 
and the two firmly pressed together without turning the upper under the lower 
crust. (5) Wet the edge of the under crust and press the two together; then 
wet a strip of white cloth, about 2 inches wide, and fasten it nicely around the 
edges of the crust; it can easily be removed when the pie is done, and will hold in 
the juice. 

All the small juicy fruits, like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and black- 
berries, can be made to retain their juices in the crust by mixing with the sugar 
used for sweetening them a heaping tablespoon of either flour, corn -starch, arrow- 
root, or cracker-dust. The mixture should be well shaken down through the 
berries before the top crust is put on; as the sugar draws out the juice, it is bet- 
ter not to sprinkle it on the fruit until that is put in the crust. The under crust 
in these pies will be raw and clammy, unless there is a good heat at the bottom 



PASTRY. 207 

of the oven. If the under crust in fruit and custard pies, is rubbed over, just 
before filling the pies, with a mixture of egg, well beaten, it will prevent the juice 
from soaking into it. The white alone will do if the pie is very delicate in color. 
A tablespoon of powdered sugar added to the flour makes the paste into a nice, 
short crust, for fruit pies. If in fruit pies the sugar is not added until after they 
are baked, and then the crust is lifted up and it is put in, less sugar will be 
needed. (See what we say about "Using Sugar," in our chapter on "Cooked 
Fruit.") Flour, corn-starch, arrowroot or cracker-dust act simply by absorbing 
the surplus juice, and so keep it from running out. 

The Principles Involved.— The principles involved in this mode of baking flour are as fol- 
lows: In making paste or pie crust, the paste of flour and water is rolled out into very thin 
paper-like layers, with fat between. In folding and rolling it out, much cold air is impris- 
oned and distributed through the mass. When baked, this air is heated and so expands, 
and, being confined, it "lifts" the dough, or makes it rise and become light. This action is 
purely mechanical, without producing any chemical change like that worked by yeast. It 
is obvious that the colder this imprisoned air is when the mass is ready to bake, the more it 
will be contracted, and, therefore, when heated, the more it will expand and lift the dough ; 
hence the repeated injunctions to keep the mass as cold as possible. Eggs, when used, act 
in two ways— they increase the tenacity of the dough so that it better retains the air, and 
when beaten up they carry a good deal of air into the dough. As soon as the cold air ex- • 
pands the mass should stiffen, before it has time to fall, hence the importance of having the 
heat of the oven right. It will be seen that the lightness of the pastry will depend on the 
amount and coldness of the air it contains before it is put in the oven, and the extent of the 
expansion of the air afterwards; therefore, other things being equal, the best pastry will 
be that which contains the greatest quantity of the coldest air before it is baked. Cooks 
with a hot hand will do well to mix the paste with a knife (a steel chopping-knife with a 
wooden handle is about the best thing) as the warmth of the hand will heat the paste in 
working it. The •'flakiness" of the paste will depend on the number of layers of butter and 
paste it contains, but its rising depends on its air. We knew an experiment in making some 
pastry in which the lady pressed it hard with her thumb in certain spots. When baked, it 
was light everywhere except where her thumb had pressed, and there it was soggy and 
heavy. The pressure of her thumb had forced out the air, so that in those places there was 
nothing to expand and ' lift" the paste. This will show the importance of the lightness and 
deftness of touch in making paste, which we have elsewhere insisted on. 

Pastry, though generally liked, is not easily digested, and is not suited to delicate stom- 
achs, although the strong may eat it. Flaky paste, although easily broken in pieces, is not 
easily pulverized or ground into a pulpy mass by the teeth, so that comparatively large- 
sized flakes are commonly swallowed, besides which the starchy matter, being envelopedin 
fat, is not readily reached by the saliva, and thus the first step in the conversion of flour 
into sugar is prevented, while for the same reason it is not readily attacked by the gastric 
juices in the stomach. From these causes proceed the evil results so often experienced 
from eating pastry. When eaten, it should be very thoroughly and patiently masticated. 

Using Cornmeal. — Cornmeal mixed with flour, using % cornmeal to % flour or a little 
more, makes puddings or pastry more digestible, because it makes them less cohesive — 
that is, when it is used the products fall more readily into minute particles so that the saliva 
can act on the starch, and the gastric juice on the albumenoids, much more readily. Corn- 
meal, lacking gluten, breaks up the stickiness of gluten flour as we elsewhere explain. 

Meringue for pies, puddings or cake, is a frosting spread on top of them. It 
is made by beating the white of 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of powdered white sugar 
to a froth, and flavoring it if desired. After spreading it on, it must always be 
put in the oven to brown and harden; let a pudding cool slightly before spreading 
it on, or else it will liquify. 

Doree, or gilding, applied to patties, etc., is an egg beaten up and brushed 
over the top. It gives them a beautiful golden shade. 

Paste, or Pie Crust. — For the best puff paste the uniform rule is equal quanti- 
ties, by weight, of butter and flour. A good paste is made with %Bb. butter to 
lib. flour. For home use, as low as yi^a. butter to lib. flour is sometimes used. 

For the best paste, good butter is the thing to use; the next best thing, but- 
ter and lard mixed. For meat pies clarified drippings makes a good crust. A 
light biscuit crust answers well for dumplings, and may also be used for meat 
pies. A paste made with lard alone, will be tender, but not flaky. 

If any baking powder is used with paste at any time add that to the flour first 
of all. When baking powder is used in pastry, speedy work is needed or the 
effervescence will be over before the work is completed, the gas will escape, and 
the paste will fall. For delicate puff -paste or pie-crust do not use baking powder. 

No. 1. Puff Paste. — Use 2 cups flour, 1 solid cup butter, and 1 level teaspoon 
salt. Mix about % of the butter in the flour, then roll out and work in the bal- 
ance as directed for making pastes, giving it 4 to 6 "turns." This makes a rich 
paste suitable for the upper crust of pies, using a plainer one for the under crust. 



208 PASTRY. 

No. 2. Light Paste. — Use 2 cups flour, 1 solid cup butter, 1 level teaspoon salt, 
1 egg (2 are sometimes used). Mix, roll out, and finish as directed above for mak- 
ing paste, giving it at least 4 "turns"— 6 is better. It makes a good paste for fruit 
tarts. 

No. 3. Pie Crust. — Use 1 cup shortening (lard and butter mixed), 3 cups flour, 
1 even teaspoon salt. Mix with enough ice -water to hold all together, handling as 
little as possible. This is enough for 3 pies. 

No. 4. French Paste. — Use 4 cups flour, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 level teaspoon 
salt, 3 whole eggs. Mix thoroughly with the fingers to a smooth paste; if too dry 
to mold, add the yolk of another egg; after it is molded, roll out and cut. This 
paste is more digestible than shortened pie crust. 

No. 5. Pie Crust. — Use 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon lard, % teaspoon baking pow- 
der, % teaspoon salt. Sift the baking powder and salt together, chop the lard in 
the flour, and add just enough cold water to moisten the flour. This quantity 
will make 1 pie with 2 crusts. 

No. 6. Pie Crust. — Use rich buttermilk, soda, and a little salt; have it as soft 
as it will hold together when mixed; flour the rolling-pin and molding-board 
plentifully. Bake in a rather slow oven, and do not cover after taking out. 
Dyspeptics can eat it. 

PIES. 

Apple Pie. — Line a large pie-plate with a good crust, fill it well with sliced 
apples; take a small cup of sugar and mix well with it 1 tablespoon of flour, a 
little nutmeg, half a teaspoon of cinnamon, and sprinkle over the pie; put on the 
top crust; wet the edges of the under crust, pinch the top one upon it closely, cut 
an opening in the middle of the top crust, and bake in a good oven about an 
hour; serve the day of baking. 

Pot Apple Pie. — Put a quart of water in a kettle with 2 cups of sugar, a salt- 
spoon of salt and 6 tart apples, pared, quartered and cored; let them cook in the 
syrup until they look like preserves, then make a baking-powder crust, without 
shortening, cut it in rounds with a biscuit cutter, put it in the kettle, add a piece 
of butter the size of an egg, and more water, if the syrup is much reduced, cover, 
and cook 20 minutes. Turn into a deep dish to serve. This is delicious. 

Dried Apple Pie. — The dried apples should be soaked over night, then slowly 
stewed, in just water enough to cover them, for 2 or 3 hours, especially those dried 
in the old-fashioned way, and which are preferred by many cooks to those that 
are bleached. When soft, stir to a mash with a spoon, or work the apple through 
a coarse colander; season to taste with sugar and spices, and bake in two crusts. 
A few dried raspberries, or a little raspberry jam is a great improvement in dried 
apple pies. 

A good way to treat dried apples is to soak them over night, then cover with boiling 
water, and stew soft. A little sour cider or lemon juice may he added if they are not tart 
enough, and a fine flavor will he imparted by adding a little orange peel when they are 
about half stewed; then add sugar and nutmeg to season, and strain through a colander. 

Apple Custard Pie. — Take 2 cups sweet milk, 2 cups apple sauce, 3 eggs; flavor 
and sweeten, and bake with an under crust only. This will make 2 small or 1 large 
pie. 

Apple Custard No. 2.— Take % CU P melted butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups stewed 
apples, 4 eges beaten separately. Bake in pie-plates in bottom crusts only. 

Apple Pie a la Mode. — Take a good apple pie, warm it, and spread ice cream 
over the top 1 inch thick, and serve at once. 

Banana Pie. —Slice the bananas thinly, put over them the grated peel and 



PASTRY. 209 

juice of a lemon, and let them lie in the acid for an hour before using; then 
sweeten to taste, and bake in 2 crusts. 

Carrot Pie. — To lib. of carrots, boiled and mashed through a colander, add 2 
eggs, and rich milk or cream to make quite thin; flavor to taste with sugar, cin- 
namon and nutmeg; put it into 2 pie-plates lined with rich paste, and bake in a 
quick oven. 

Cherry Pie. — Pit the cherries and be careful to reject all that are wormy; place 
them on a nice under crust, sweeten to taste, and mix a teaspoon of corn-starch 
with the sugar, or a tablespoon if the cherries are large and juicy. Bake in 2 
crusts, or as a tart with strips of paste twisted and placed over it in diamond 
shape. Eat cold, with sugar sifted over the top. 

Dried Cherry Pie. — Use a pie-plate that will hold 1 pint, line with rich paste; 
take 1 teacup of sugar and put % °f it on the under crust, roll 2 soda crackers 
fine, put % on the sugar, and 1 teacup of cherries strewn evenly on the 
cracker, now add a piece of butter half the size of an egg, and cover with the 
remainder of the sugar and cracker; when the top crust is ready to put on, add 1 
teacup of cold water, and bake % hour in a moderate oven. 

Ground Cherry Pie. — Line a pie-plate with a nice pie crust, and then put in a 

layer of ground cherries and 1 cup of sugar. Cover with a nice crust and bake. 

The ground cherry (Physalis viscosa) belongs to the order Solamacce— -the order which 
gives us the tomato and potato. 

Chocolate Pie. — Take 2 cups milk, yolks of 2 eggs, % of a cup of sugar, 2 
tablespoons of corn-starch, and 2 tablespoons of grated chocolate. Heat the milk, 
sugar and chocolate together; when hot, add the corn-starch, mixed in a little of 
the cold milk, then add the beaten yolks; let all come to a boil; line a pie-tin with 
good pie crust, bake, and then pour in the chocolate cream; beat the whites of the 
eggs to a stiff froth with 2 tablespoons of white sugar; pour it over the pie, and 
set it in the over to brown. 

(Jreen Cocoanut Pie. — Open the eyes of a cocoanut with a gimlet, and pour 
out the milk into a cup; then break the shell, take out the meat, and grate it 
fine, take the same weight of sugar and the grated nut and stir together; beat 4. 
eggs, the whites and yolks separately, to a stiff foam; mix 1 cup of cream, and the 
milk of the cocoanut with the sugar and nut; then add the eggs. Line deep pie- 
tins with a nice crust, fill them with the custard, and bake carefully % hour. 

Dried Cocoanut Pie. — Put a cup of cocoanut to soak in sweet milk as early in 
the morning as possible; take a teacup of the cocoanut and put it into a coffee- 
cup, and fill up with milk. When ready to bake take 2 teaspoons of flour, mix 
with milk, and stir until it thickens; add butter the size of a walnut, while warm; 
when cold, add a little salt, 2 eggs (saving out the white of one for the top), 
sweeten to taste, add the cocoanut, beating well, fill the crust and bake. When 
done, have the extra white beaten ready to spread over the top; return to the 
oven and brown lightly. 

Corn-starch Pie. — Scald 1 pint of milk and stir in it 3 tablespoons of sugar and 
the beaten yolks of 2 eggs; wet 2 tablespoons of corn-starch with a little cold 
milk, and stir it in the milk, sugar, and eggs. Line a pie-plate with paste, bake, 
and fill it with the cream. Beat 2 tablespoons of sugar with the whites of the 
eggs, spread over the top of the pie, and set in the oven to brown. This may be 
served with or without cream, and will be found very nice. 

Cream Pie. — Take 2 cups thick cream, and 1 cup milk. Put the cream and 
milk in a tin pail, and set in a kettle of boiling water. If there is danger that 
the cream may curdle, put into it as much soda as will lie on the point of a pen- 
14 



210 PASTRY. 

kriife. When the cream is hot, beat the whites of 2 eggs, a tablespoon of corn- 
starch, and 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar all together, and add to the cream. 
When it thickens, let cool a little, and add a teaspoon of extract of vanilla. Pour 
into a deep crust already baked. Cover with a meringue and brown in the oven. 

Cream Pie No. 2. — Bake a crust in a large pie-pan, lift it out on a plate; for 
filling, take 1 pint of very rich milk; boil % of it; with the remaining J^ stir 2 
tablespoons of corn-starch; add to the boiling milk, stirring all the time; then 
add )4, teacup of sugar, then the yolks of 2 eggs, well-beaten and thinned 
with a little milk; remove from the fire, flavor with vanilla, and pour into the 
crust; whip the whites, add % teacup sugar, frost the pie, andjplace in the oven 
to brown slightly. Serve cold. 

Cream Pie No. 3. — Use 1 egg, 1 cup sugar with butter size of an egg well 
rubbed into it, % CU P milk, in which dissolve J^ teaspoon soda, Y%, cups flour, 
and sift well through it 1 teaspoon cream tartar and a little salt; bake in 3 tins. 

Cream Filling. — Take 1 egg, % CU P sugar, % CU P flour: wet the flour with a 
little milk, then stir it into 1 cup boiling milk, then add the egg and sugar, and 
a little salt; stir till thick and smooth. This is cheap, but delicious. 

Green Currant Pie. — Currants fully grown, and just before turning red, make 
very nice pies; mix a little flour or corn-starch with the sugar used for seasoning, 
and bake with an upper crust. Green gooseberry pies are made in the same 
manner, first picking off the stems and blossom ends. 

Custard Pie. — Take 2 teacups milk, 2 eggs, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 

1 heaping teaspoon flour, a pinch of salt. Heat the milk, but do not let it boil. 
Beat eggs, sugar, flour and salt together, and add the milk. Line a deep plate 
with plain crust, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven until there is 
no milk in the center. Do not let it boil, as that causes it to whey. When done, 
grate nutmeg on top. 

Custard Pie No. 2. — The proper proportions for a rich custard pie are 4 well- 
beaten eggs, 4 tablespoons of white sugar, and 1 quart of milk, or milk and cream 
mixed. This makes the filling fOr a deep pie-plate with a built-up edge of crust. 

Frosted Custard Pie. — Use 1 pint of milk, the yolks of 3 eggs and white of 1, 

2 tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt. When baked, put on the frosting made 
of the 2 remaining whites of the eggs, beaten stiff, and 2 spoonfuls powdered 
sugar, a small pinch of salt, and any flavoring you choose; set it back in the oven 
and brown. 

Date Pie. — Prepare the dates as directed in the introduction to "Cake" 
(which see). Spread the lower crust on the pan, put in the prepared dates, add a 
little cold water, sprinkle with flour, dot with butter, put on the upper crust and 
bake. 

Elderberry Pie. — Take % elderberries and J^ rhubarb, with sugar sufficient 
to sweeten, and bake with 2 crusts. This makes an excellent pie which cannot 
be distinguished from one made of raspberries, and is much cheaper. This pro- 
portion of elderberries and rhubarb makes a nice jam. 

Fried Pies. — Roll out a good biscuit dough, about 7 or 8 inches in diameter, 
put a spoonful of any good sauce near the center, fold the dough over it, press 
the edges together, and fry like doughnuts in smoking hot fat. 

Fruit Pies, or Tarts. — Fruit pies of all kinds may be made with an under- 
crust only. Have the fruit stewed, sweetened, and cold. Fill the crust with the 
fruit, place a few bits of butter over the fruit, and bake. When the pie is cool, 
eat the white of 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of fine sugar to a froth, spread over the 



PASTRY. 211 

pie, and brown in the oven. If a thicker meringue is liked, make with whites 
of 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. If the fruit is very juicy a little pulverized 
cracker can be sprinkled over the pie before baking. 

Pies made in this way with one crust are often called "tarts." 

Fruit pies can also be made by putting the fruit in a pudding dish, sweeten 
and dust over the fruit a little corn-starch, flour, or cracker-dust; put bits of but- 
ter over the fruit, and any spices liked; cover with a crust a little thicker than 
when there is an under crust. Bake slowly. In this way there is no danger of 
losing the juice of the pie. 

Gooseberry Pie. — Take ripe gooseberries, or green ones when fully grown, 
pick the stems and blow ends from them and place on the under crust. Mix a 
tablespoon of corn-starch in a small cup of sugar, for the sweetening. Bake with 
2 crusts. 

Grape Pie.— Take 1 coffee-cup of grapes, 1 tea-cup of sugar, 1 egg, a pinch of 
salt, a dessertspoon of flour, and a teaspoon of butter. This makes 1 pie. Bake 
in 2 crusts. 

Hickory-nut Pie. — Use 1)4 pints milk, 4 teaspoons sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 cup 
chopped hickory-nut meats; bake with an under crust only. 

Huckleberry Pie. — Fill a pie-tin, lined with paste, with the berries, and add 
sugar to sweeten — about % cup. A pleasant tartness, which will improve the 
flavor, may be imparted by adding a little vinegar or lemon juice, or by mixing 
in some currants. Cover with a top crust and bake. 

Jelly Pie. — Take 1 cup jelly, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, ^ cup butter. Cream the 
butter and sugar, beat the yolks until light and stir them in, then add the beaten 
whites and last the jelly. A small piece of this served on the same plate with 
apple or peach pie is nice. 

Lemon Pie. — Take 1 large, juicy lemon, grate the rind, and squeeze out all the 
juice; put 1 cup sugar and butter the size of an egg into a bowl; stir a tablespoon 
corn-starch into just enough cold water to make it smooth,then stir this into a cup 
of boiling water in a sauce-pan; as soon as it begins to boil pour it on the butter 
and sugar, stir in the lemon juice and rind, and when a little cooler, stir in the 
beaten yolks of 2 eggs; pour this into the crust, which should stand ready; bake 
as you would custard, until thick, but not until it wheys; beat the whites of the 
two eggs to a stiff froth, beat in a tablespoon powdered sugar, spread this on the 
pie, put in the oven and brown slightly. Be sure and put this pie together in the 
order named, and you will have no trouble. Flavor the frosting with lemon ex- 
tract, or not, as desired. 

Lemon Pie with Upper Crust. — Grate the yellow part of 2 lemons into a dish, 
peel off the white and throw away; then cut up the lemons with the grated yellow, 
add 5 eggs, if they are plenty, if not, 4 will do; add 2 cups of sugar, a little salt, 
and 2 tablespoons of water. Line your pie-tins with a flaky crust, and divide the 
filling for 2 pies; put on an upper crust, and bake in a quick oven, and you will 
find it a delicious dessert. 

Mince Pies.— These generally come on Thanksgiving day for the season; they 
are better when a few days old. It is better to make the mince-meat a week be- 
fore Thanksgiving, and the pies in time to stand at least 3 days. Boil 6 lbs. lean 
beef till tender, let it stand over night and then chop fine; chop 1 lb. beef suet, 
also 5 lbs. apples, and 2 lbs. seeded raisins; slice thin % lb. citron, and mix these 
ingredients, with 2 tablespoons cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon grated nutmeg. 

Hints— We may offer a few hints about mince pies. Dried apples, soaked in water a few 
hours, or over night, or Irish potatoes soaked in the same way in vinegar, make a very fair 



212 PASTKY. 

substitute for fresh apples in mince pies. Fresh apples can be washed, wiped dry, and 

ed 



chopped fine without peeling, and some labor saved thereby. Dried cherries, and other 
fruit, prepared with sugar, can be soaked 10 or 12 hours in a very little water, and then both 
water and fruit used instead of raisins. They will be much cheaper and will answer very 
well. Economical housewives will often find hints like these very serviceable. 

Canned Mince Meat. — If mince meat is canned hot, in the same manner as 

fruit, put in glass jars; sealed tight, and kept in a cool, dark place, it will keep 

for months. A quart jar full will hold enough for 2 pies, and in this way mince 

pies can be had the year round, as well as in winter. 

MINCE MEAT. 

3 bowls of meat chopped. 5 bowls of apple. 1 bowl molasses. 1 bowl vinegar. 

2 bowls cider. 1 bowl suet. 2 bowls raisins. 1 bowl citron. 

4 bowls sugar (use 5 if liked 2 tablespoons cin- 1 tablespoon cloves. 1 tablespoon salt, 
very sweet). namon. 1 tablespoon pepper.3 nutmegs. 

3 lemons, use juice and yellow rind. 

A bowl holding about \% pints is used for measuring. Very good. 

MOCK MINCE PIE. 

1 cup rolled crackers. 1 cup sugar. 1 cup molasses. X cup vinegar. 

54 cup boiled cider. 1 cup hot water. 1 cup chopped raisins. 1 teaspoon nut- 

1 teaspoon of cloves. 2 teaspoons cin'mon. meg. 

MOCK MINCE PIE NO. 2. 

1 cup dried English currants. 1 cup sour cream. 1 cup sugar. 1 egg. 

1 teaspoon cinnamon. 1 teaspoon cloves. 1 teaspoon allspice. 

This will make 2 pies. Bake in 2 crusts. 

SUMMER MINCE PIES. 

1 cup bread crumbs. 1 cup water. 1 cup raisins. 

1 cup sugar. 1 cup molasses. l A cup butter. 

1 teaspoon cloves and cinnamon. 

Cheap and very good. 

Orange Pie. — Take 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon corn-starch, 
1 teacup boiling water, yolks of 3 eggs, juice and grated rind of 1 orange. Mix 
all together. Bake in an open shell. When set; cover with a meringue made 
with the whites of the eggs, and brown in the oven. 

Orange Pie No. 2. — Use the grated rind and juice of 2 oranges. Cream 1 ta- 
blespoon butter with 4 tablespoons sugarr into this beat the yolks of 3 eggs, then 
the whites of 2, beaten stiff, and mix all with the orange juice and rind. Bake 
with an under crust only; make a meringue with the reserved white, spread over 
the pie, and lightly brown in the oven. 

Peach Pie. — Peel and halve peaches, and fill a pie-plate lined with good paste 
with them; sprinkle % cup sugar over the fruit, sift on 1 tablespoon flour (less, if 
the fruit is not juicy), and a few bits of butter; bake until the peaches are done. 

Peach Cobler. — Take a good sized dish like a pudding-dish; line the sides with 
good paste, and fill the dish with good peaches, halved and pared; sweeten accord- 
ing to taste and the flavor of the peaches. Place a small cup in the center to 
keep the crust from sinking down; roll out a crust considerably thicker than for 
pies, just large enough to cover the top of the dish, cut a slit each way in the 
center and place over the peaches; bake a crisp brown, and eat with cream and 
sugar, or sweet sauce. Canned peaches may be used if more convenient. 

Apple Cobler may be made the same way. 

Pear Pie. — The pears should be ripe and mellow enough to eat; core and slice 
them and prepare a crust as for apple pies; put a small amount of sugar on them, 
and a few bits of butter, but no spices. Bake until the top crust is of a nice 
light brown color, and the under crust will slip on the plate. This, from the taste, 
might be called honey pie. 

Pine- Apple Pie. — Grate or chop the "Pine" (see Pine-apples in chapter on Fruits), 
line a deep pie-dish with nice short paste, stir a tablespoon of arrow-root or corn- 



PASTRY. 213 

starch into )4 CU P °£ sugar and cover the pine-apple in the pie-dish; wet the edge 
of the under crust with cold water or the white of an egg, cover with the top 
crust, cutting a place in the center, and bake. Press the edge of the pie all 
around, and bake until of a delicate brown on top, and the crust will slip on the 
pie-plate. 

Potato Pie. — Use % CU P melted butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, well beaten, 1 
quart potatoes boiled and sifted, 1% cups milk, salt and nutmeg, and flavor with 
orange or lemon juice. Bake with an under crust only, to a light brown. Eat 
when a little warm. 

Sweet-potato Pie. — Boil the potatoes until soft, mash them through a colander 
and for every % pint add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 eggs, with milk to make a 
quart. This fills a deep pie-plate, with crust built above the edge of the plate as 
for custard pie, and it is done when the center is not milky. 

Prune Pie. — Stew prunes as for sauce, stone them, have ready a deep pie-dish 
lined with puff paste, fill this dish with the stoned prunes, sprinkle over them % 
cup sugar and a little cinnamon. Bake it with an upper crust, or cover it with 
deep frosting made of the whites of 2 eggs, powdered sugar to taste, and any 
flavor desired. 

Pumpkin Pie. — Pare and stew the pumpkin till it is soft and dry. It must be 
cooked slowly to the last, to prevent scorching. Press through a colander, and to 1 
cup of the sifted pumpkin, add 1 egg, 3 tablespoons molasses, 1 cup of sugar, a 
pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon ginger (or cinnamon), andl pint of milk. This will fill 
1 pie on a large plate. Bake like a custard, in rather a slow oven, till a golden 
brown. 

. Pumpkin Pie No. 2. — For 3 pies take 1 pint of cooked, strained pumpkin, 1 
quart of nice rich milk, 5 eggs, 3 cups of sugar, % cup of butter and 2 tablespoons 
of cinnamon. (Ginger may be used instead of cinnamon.) 

In pumpkin or squash pie 1 tablespoon of flour may be substituted as the equivalent of 
legg. 

Raisin Pie. — Take the seeds from 1 cup of raisins, and 1 cup of water and boil 
until the raisins are soft. When cold, add the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, 
1 cup of rolled crackers, and sweeten to taste. Bake in 1 crust, and when cool 
cover with a meringue, and slightly brown in the oven. 

Rhubarb Pie. — The giant variety with red stalks is the best to use. Cut the 
stalks in half inch pieces; after it is cut pour boiling water over it and let it stand 
20 minutes; pour that off and repeat the process with boiling water; this extracts 
much of its oxalic acid and partly cooks it without breaking it in pieces. Mix 
the sugar with a little corn-starch. Bake' in 2 crusts. The flavor is improved by 
adding a little orange. A little nutmeg added to rhubarb pie will improve the 
flavor and make it taste much like apple. 

Note. — If a little baking soda is mixed with the fruit (say % a saltspoon to 
each pie) the alkali will neutralize the oxalic acid of the rhubarb and much less 
sugar will be required for sweetening — a fact worth knowing. 

Rice Pie. — To 1 cup steamed rice add 3 cups cream; sweeten to taste, and 
flavor with cinnamon; beat the whites of 2 eggs to a froth, then beat all together 
and put in a deep pie-plate, with under crust only. Bake about % hour. 

Squash Pie. — To 1 pint of squash, boiled and passed through a sieve or 
colander, add 3 eggs, 1 heaping teaspoon corn-starch, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and milk 
to make it soft; sweeten to taste. This makes a large, thick pie. 

Strawberry Pie. — Make a rich butter crust to line the pie-plate; fill in the 
berries, and for each pie use for sweetening about % cup of sugar and a table- 



214 WASTRY. 

spoon of corn-starch mixed with the sugar; bake with an upper crust, with a 
strip of cloth pinned around it. It is done when it slips on the plate. 

Tomato Pie. — Into a tin lined with puff paste, slice ripe tomatoes; sweeten 
with sugar; sprinkle on 2 teaspoons flour, and add a little lemon juice for flavor; 
put on a top crust and bake. 

Transparent Pie. — Take yolks of 3 eggs, 3 tablespoons of sugar, \y 2 tablespoons 
of butter; beat well together, flavor to suit taste, and bake in 1 crust only of rich 
puff paste. Cover with a meringue, if desired. 

Vinegar Pie. — Take 1 cup sugar, % cup vinegar, 1 tablespoon butter, 3 table- 
spoons of flour, 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Boil till thick, pour 
into the crust and bake. 

Washington Pie.— For the crust, use 2 cups sugar, ^ cup butter, 3 cups sifted 
flour, 4 eggs, 3^ teaspoon cream tartar; for the filling, 1 tablespoon corn-starch, 
boiled in 3^ pint milk; beat the yolk of 1 egg very light, and stir into the milk; 
flavor with vanilla, and, when cold, add the other half of the milk and the white 
of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth and stirred in quickly; spread this between the 
cakes, and ice it with the white of 1 egg and 8 tablespoons of finely sifted sugar, 
flavored with lemon. 

TARTS. 

Tartlets. — Cut rounds of rich pie-crust, put a strip of the same around the 
edges and bake; when wanted, a little jam, jelly or preserves can be placed in 
each one before serving. 

Cranberry Tart. — Stew a pint of cranberries with a very little water, and 
sweeten while hot. When cold, if not sweet enough, add more sugar. Bake with 
an under crust, and when the tart is cool cover with a meringue, and brown in 
the oven. 

Gooseberry Tart. — Stew the gooseberries until they are soft, in a very little 
water, but be careful and not break them; drain the water from them, put them 
on a bottom crust, sprinkle a layer of sugar over them, then lay twisted strips of 
puff paste across in diamond shape, or bake the crust separately in heart-shapes, 
(see "Flauns") and lay on the tart after baking in one crust. 

Lemon Tarts. — Mix together thoroughly 1 pint sugar, 3 eggs, well beaten, 1 
tablespoon butter, and 2 whole lemons grated; set it on the stove, stir until it 
boils up, and put aside to cool. Fill into tartlets at any time, as it will keep for 
weeks. 

Pine-apple Tarts. — Cut as many heart-shaped pieces of puff paste as the pie 
is to be divided into; bake them in a tin in the oven until they are light and 
brown; line a pie-plate with nice pie-crust, or puff paste, and bake that. Take a 
grated pine-apple, stew until tender in a very little water, then add % cup of 
sugar mixed with corn-starch, and stir until it is thick; then pour it into the baked 
bottom crust to cool. When cool and solid, brush over the top with the white of 
an egg, lay a heart of puff paste on each division of the tart, and it will adhere to 
it when dry. Arrow-root or cracker -dust can be used in fruit pies or tarts if pre- 
ferred. 

Strawberry Tart. — Sprinkle sugar over the berries and let them lie over 
night; before using, drain off the juice, and bake the fruit in one crust, with 
strips of paste twisted and crossed over the tart in diamond shape, or puff paste 
may be baked in heart shape and laid on the tart after it is baked. 

The juice drawn from the berries can be boiled with added sugar, and the 
syrup bottled and sealed while hot, to be used in pudding sauces, or diluted with 
water for a summer beverage. 



I»ASTRA T . 215 

Canned strawberries and other small fruits can be made into tarts in the same 
way by draining off the juice. 

Flauns (Parisian Tarts). — Stew fresh fruit of any kind as for a compote — 
that is, it should be somewhat sweeter than for fruit sauce, but not like preserves. 
Make a plain crust and line pie-plates, cover them thickly with the stewed fruit, 
and bake without an upper crust. Have some nice puff paste, cut it with a 
heart-shaped cookey-cutter, and bake the hearts separately in a hot oven on bak- 
ing-tins; when the flauns are cold, and the paste cooled after baking, brush over 
the tops of the tarts with the beaten white of an egg; then place a heart of paste 
over each part of the tart to be cut for each person; the points of the hearts are 
to be turned toward the center of the tarts. 

SHORTCAKES. 

Make a soft dough as for baking powder biscuit (see "Baking Powder Bis- 
cuit"); take it on the molding-board and divide the dough into 2 parts, making it 
up lightly in round masses; do not mold or knead it, but flatten each piece of 
dough down into buttered jelly-cake tins, or any round pans; bake quickly and 
turn each one on to a dinner plate; slice off the top of each one, butter each 
piece, spread with the prepared fruit, place one-half on the other, and have fruit 
on top. This makes 2 cakes, which, cut in quarters, will serve 8 persons. For 
1 cake use ~% cup milk for mixing, and other ingredients in proportion. 

The fruit used should be prepared with sufficient sugar and ready at hand, so 
that there will be no delay when the cakes are taken from the oven. 

A little fine white cornmeal added to the flour in making shortcake is thought 
an improvement and much relished by some people. 

Strawberry Shortcake. — Prepare the cake as above, split it, butter, and spread 
on the berries. If small they can be sweetened and spread on whole; if large 
they can be mashed or chopped and sweetened, and then spread on. Chopping is 
better than mashing the berries. Serve with cream. 

Apple Shortcake.— As soon as the cake is baked, split it open, spread one piece 
with butter, spread it with well -sweetened apple sauce, pour on some thick sweet 
cream, grate on nutmeg, then lay on the other piece and cover it the same way. 

Banana Shortcake. — Slice the bananas and mix with oranges in the propor- 
tion of 3 bananas to 1 orange; grate the outside of the orange peel and mix it 
with 1 cup of sugar; spread the whole over the buttered cakes. It is an im- 
provement to add 4 tablespoons of sweet cream, beaten stiff. 

Berry Shortcakes. — Any of the small berries, like raspberries, blackberries, or 
blueberries, make nice shortcakes. Sweeten the berries and make like straw- 
berry shortcake. Black and red raspberries mixed, or raspberries with a few 
ripe currants mixed in, make delicious shortcakes. 

Cranberry Shortcake. — Stew the cranberries, make them quite sweet, and 
spread on the prepared cake. 

Fruit Shortcakes. —Any kind of stewed or canned fruit can be used for short- 
cake. Apples, rhubarb, or pears stewed and sweetened to taste are nice. 

Jam Shortcake. -Bake the shortcake, split it, and spread on raspberry or 
other jam, as for layer cakes, only thicker. Serve with cream. 

Peach Shortcake. — Slice and sweeten the peaches, and spread on the buttered 
cakes, as directed for other shortcakes. 

Apricots, or any other kind of fruit, may be used the same way. 

Orange Shortcakeo — Make a shortcake, as before described; then slice oranges, 
and put in layers of these, with sugar and cream. Serve with sweetened cream. 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS; 

In making pudding all the materials — butter, eggs, milk, and fruit — should be 
good. After cutting suet into slices and freeing it from fibrous matter, chop it 
finely, dredging it lightly with flour during the process to keep the pieces from 
sticking together. Suet or milk, which is tainted in the least, will ruin a pud- 
ding. Fruit, when added, should be stirred in the last thing, the same as with 
cake. Wet fruit will make the pudding heavy, so have it dry before putting it in 
the pudding. The rules for preparing raisins and currants are the same as for 
"Cake" (which see). See also what we say there about grating lemon or orange 
peel. Have all spices and almonds, which are used, finely powdered. Break eggs 
separately, for 1 bad one will spoil the others; beat yolks and whites separately. 
It is a good plan to strain the yolks; add the whites last. A pinch of salt is an 
improvement to all puddings, but add it sparingly, as its flavor should not be de- 
tected. Do not add eggs to boiled milk till it cools a little, or they will coagulate 
into little lumps. Sugar should be used sparingly, as an excess of sugar is the 
cause of many a broken pudding. The ingredients for pudding are generally 
better for being mixed some time before they are wanted. A batter pudding is 
better for standing a while. When you make a batter pudding, first mix the flour 
well with milk, and stir in the other ingredients by degrees; it will then be smooth 
and quite free from lumps. Another good way is to strain it through a coarse 
hair sieve. 

To boil puddings, the correct method is to put them at first into boiling water, 
and it should be kept boiling until they are done. Never keep them simmer- 
ing in moderately hot water, as active boiling is what they need. The prin- 
ciple is the same as described for cooking vegetables. Always beat up the pud- 
ding just before pouring it into the cloth. Keep the pudding covered with water, 
and if it boils away pour in more water which is boiling. Move puddings occa- 
sionally, to keep them from sticking to the kettle. An inverted plate or saucer in 
the bottom of the kettle will save the pudding from burning or sticking to the 
bottom. When the pudding is done, lift it out and dip it at once in cold water, 
let it stand to cool a minute, and the cloth will not adhere to it, nor will it break; 
untie the cloth and turn it away from the pudding, place a hot dish on top of it, 
and turn the pudding into it. If boiled in molds, treat the same way. Serve 
immediately, for if a pudding is allowed to stand, it will darken, fall, and be 
ruined. When preferred, the pudding may be boiled in a basin, but first grease 
the basin or mold well, and after putting in the pudding, tie a floured cloth 
over it. 

The Cloth Used. — A thick cloth is best for boiling large puddings. Canton 
flannel, with the nap side out, is excellent, although some cooks use muslin. Dip 
the cloth into boiling water before putting in the pudding, then wring it, spread 
it over a basin, and dredge it evenly and thickly with flour; then put in the pud- 
ding, gather up the corners of the cloth, and tie them. If it is a bread pudding, 
tie it loose; if a batter pudding, tie it nearly close; fruit puddings should be tied 
quite close. As soon as possible after it is taken off of the pudding the cloth should 
be soaked in water, and then well washed, without soap unless it is very greasy. 
Then dry it well, fold it up, and keep in a dry place. It is perhaps needless to 
state that there should be no holes in the cloth. 

Steaming. — As a rule, puddings will be lighter and better if they are steamed 
rather than baked or boiled. Put the steamer over cold water, and during the 
whole process of steaming do not remove the cover. A thick cloth tied over the 
dish in which they are steamed will make the pudding lighter and absorb much 
of the moisture. 

Baking. — When baked puddings are sufficiently solid, turn them out of the 
dish they were baked in, bottom uppermost, and strew finely sifted sugar over — 
them. If the outside of baked puddings are sufficiently brown, and yet they are 
not baked through, put a piece of white paper over them which will prevent the 
top from burning before they are thoroughly cooked. Puddings made of custard 

(316) 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 217 

require more care in baking than others, and should never remain in the oven until 
they become watery; they will be thicker and richer if made with 1 egg and baked 
slowly, than if made with 3 eggs and baked quickly. Any pudding in which milk 
and eggs are used, will separate if the oven is too hot, and it should therefore be 
cooked at a low temperature. 

Dumplings. — In putting dumplings of any kind into water to boil, put them in 
one at a time, as they will mix or stick if put in together. 

Puddings are less expensive than pies, and they are also much-more whole- 
some. 

To Cream Butter. — In making cake and the better class of puddings it is often 
desirable to beat the butter to a cream before using it. Put the butter in an 
earthenware vessel (but do not use tin or iron, as they will discolor it), and beat 
it with a spoon or fork — a wooden or silver fork or spoon is best. After beating 
it about, the butter gradually comes back into a creamy state, but thicker than 
cream itself, and is then "creamed butter." If cold, warm the vessel by pouring 
hot water in it; then wipe it dry before using it. 

ALMOND PUDDING. 

1 pint of milk. 3 eggs. 3 tablespoons of flour. 

2 ounces of almonds. 1 teaspoon essence lemon. 1 ounce of butter. 
4 ounces of sugar. 

Boil the milk and let it cool; beat the eggs lightly with the flour; blanch the 
almonds, and pound in a mortar to a paste with the essence of lemon, or use 
peach water; melt the butter in the milk, add the sugar pounded, and beat all well 
together. Bake in buttered cups, or small molds. 

Apple Pudding. — Use 1)4 lbs. peeled apples; make it into apple sauce, sweeten 
and spice to taste, add 4 eggs, a piece of butter % the size of an egg, and flour to 
stiffen; bake in a quick oven. Serve with sauce, or sugar and cream. 

APPLE INDIAN PUDDING. 

1 cup Indian meal. 2 quarts milk. 3 tablespoons butter. 

1 cup molasses. 2 teaspoons salt. 1 quart apples, pared and quartered 

A little ginger and nutmeg. (not too sour). 

Scald the milk and pour it gradually on the meal; put this in the double 

boiler and cook % hour, stirring often. Butter a deep pudding dish, add molasses, 

butter, spices and apples to this mixture, and bake in a slow oven 3 hours. If 

any remains, it may be eaten cold with cream or milk next day. 

BERRY PUDDING. 

1 cup milk. 1 egg. 2 tablespoons baking powder. 

3 cups flour. 1 tablespoon melted butter. l l A cups berries or fruit of any kind. 

Steam 2 hours. 

No. 2. — Mix 1 cup sugar (% cup will do very well), 2 tablespoons butter; add 2 
cups flour with 2 teaspoons baking powder sifted into it, a pinch of salt, 1 cup milk 
and 1 egg; cover a buttered pudding dish thick with berries, pour this batter 
over them, and bake about 20 minutes. This is delicious with fresh blackberries, 
but is nearly as good with apples peeled and sliced, or with canned huckleberries 
or blackberries. For sauce, use 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 egg, 
and flavoring. 

BIRD'S NEST PUDDING. 

Flour enough to make a stiff batter. 1 egg. A little salt. 

1 pint sour milk. 1 teaspoon of soda. 

Pare 4 or 5 apples, take out the cores, place in a buttered dish and pour over 
the batter. Bake about %, hour. Use hard sauce or cream. 

Black Pudding. — Sift 2 teaspoons baking powder into 1 cup flour, add 1 tea- 
spoon cinnamon, % teaspoon ground cloves, a pinch of salt; wet with milk till 
smooth, and add 1 cup molasses, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 egg; bake in a greased 
pudding dish %. hour. Use foam sauce or hard sauce. 



218 PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 

BREAD PUDDING. 

y A cup white sugar. 1 cup of raisins (if desired). 1 heaping teaspoon of butter. 

2 eggs (beaten thoroughly). 1 pint of bread crumbs soaked in 1 quart of sweet milk. 

Salt to suit the taste. Stir well together and bake. 

BREAD PUDDING NO. %. 

1 quart of milk. 3 eggs. Wz teaspoons vanilla extract. 

1 pint bread crumbs. 1 small cup sugar. A small piece of butter. 

Beat the yolks of eggs and stir them with the rest of the ingredients, reserv- 
ing the whites for the top. Bake the pudding 25 minutes, then take it from the 
oven, spread a layer of currant jelly over the top; beat the whites of the eggs to a 
stiff froth, with 1 tablespoon of sugar, spread this on top of the jelly, return to the 
oven to brown on top. Raspberry jam is equally as good as jelly for this pudding. 
Serve with cream. If you do not happen to have that, a hot sauce is very good. 
Almost any kind of fruit, stirred in a common bread pudding, makes a very nice 
dessert of it. Cranberry sauce or jelly is very good in bread pudding. 

Black Bread Pudding. — Cut stale bread in even slices, pare off the crust, and 
butter each slice; put the largest slice on a platter, cover it with canned huckle- 
berries or blackberries which are heated scalding hot; put on another slice, cover 
it with the berries, and so on till all is used, and you have a neat mound of pud. 
ding. This may be covered and kept hot in the warming closet until serving 
time, and eaten with hard sauce, or made early in the day and served cold with 
sugar and cream— it is delicious either way. If the berries are very sweet adding 

2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar is an improvement. 

STEAMED BREAD PUDDING. 

1 pint bread crumbs. 1 cup flour. 1 tablespoon melted butter. 

1 cup molasses. 1 cup raisins. 1 egg. 

1 cup hot water poured on the bread. 1 teaspoon soda. Spices to taste. 

Steam 2 hours. Good and inexpensive. 

Bread Crumb Pudding. — Take 1 teacup of dried bread crumbs (see Dried 
Bread Crumbs elsewhere given), soak with boiling water, add 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 
a full 3^ cup of sugar, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of flavoring, and bake. It will be 
an improvement to cover with a meringue and brown in the oven when cool; or 
spread a little jam on top. 

Cake Pudding. — Soak slices of stale cake in lemonade and lay them in a pud- 
ding dish. Pour over it a soft custard, and cover it with a meringue; then place 
it in the oven to brown slightly. To be eaten cold. 

No. 2. — Cut thin slices of stale cake of any kind, enough to fill a pudding dish 
% full; then make plain "sweet sauce" enough to cover all, and let it stand in the 
oven until time to serve. A little lemon, or other fruit juice, can be added to the 
sweet sauce if liked. 

No. 3. — Put any kind of stale cake in a steamer % hour before dinner, and 
steam it through; prepare a sauce by taking % cup sugar, 1 even tablespoon of 
flour, a little water to moisten; stir well together, pour in \% cups boiling water, 
grate in a little nutmeg, and boil 10 minutes; add a spoonful of vinegar, and 
serve with the cake cut up in thick slices. 

Canned Pudding. — Soak and wash 1 pint of tapioca, add 3 pints of warm 
water, and let it stand 3 hours in a kettle of boiling water; then place in glass 
fruit jars a layer of sliced peaches, with sugar enough to sweeten them, then a 
layer of tapioca, adding alternate layers until the cans are filled; then set them 
in a kettle in % their depth of water, let the water come to boiling and keep the 
jars in % hour; then take them out and seal them. A thickly folded cloth must 
be under the jars to keep them from touching the bottom of the kettle. Tapioca 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 219 

and apples can be canned in the same way. Serve either hot or cold, with 
sweetened cream, or any liquid sauce. This canned pudding is convenient in case 
you need a dessert in a hurry. 

Charlotte Pudding 1 . — This favorite dessert is made by buttering a mold, then 
line it with thin slices of bread well buttered, with a well-buttered slice on the 
bottom of the mold; fill with nice baking apples pared, quartered and cored, 
seasoned with sugar and spices to taste; cover it with a thin slice of bread well 
buttered; put a plate or tin cover over that, and bake 2 hours. Sponge cake may 
be substituted for bread, or slices of any plain cake, if it is preferred. 

Cherry Pudding. — Put pitted and sweetened cherries an inch deep or so, in 
the bottom of a pudding dish. Take 1 cup sugar, beaten to a cream with 2 table- 
spoons butter, add 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 2 cups flour, and 2 teaspoons baking powder; 
mix well, flavor with nutmeg or lemon, pour over the cherries, and bake. Then 
turn from the dish, having the fruit on top; and serve with warm sweet sauce. 

Chocolate Pudding. — Whip to a cream 1 cup sugar and % cup butter; add % 
pint of milk, and the yolks of 2 eggs well beaten; add 1 pint of flour and 1 oz. of 
chocolate or cocoa which has been melted over hot water and beat until smooth; 
then add the whites of the 2 eggs, beaten stiff, and 1 teaspoon baking powder; 
put it in cups, and steam % hour. 

CHRISTMAS PUDDING. 

1 cup finely chopped suet. 1 cup sugar. 1 even teaspoon soda. 

1 cup seeded raisins. 1 cup Zante currants. Cinnamon and allspice to season. 

1 egg. 1 cup molasses. 

1 cup flour. 1 even teaspoon salt. 

Prepare the day before the pudding is cooked. Wash the currants and pick 
over carefully; then put them wet into a cooking bowl to stand over night, and 
all the other ingredients excepting the flour and soda; beat well. The next 
morning add the flour and soda, and beat, and stir together again; put in the 
pudding basin or mold, and steam 4 hours. The water must boil in the steamer- 
kettle, and be kept boiling until the pudding is taken up. Hot water from the 
tea-kettle can be added as needed. 

Cocoanut Rice Pudding. — Soak 1 cup of rice in water 3 hours, then add 1 pint 
of milk and cook gently until it is tender; beat 5 eggs and 1 cup of white sugar 
together, add another pint of milk, a little salt and the rice, mix well, flavor with 
lemon and pour into a buttered bowl and boil steadily for 1 hour; dip the bowl 
into cold water after it is cooked, and let it stand about 10 minutes, turn out into 
a flat dish and strew all over with desiccated cocoanut. Serve with a custard 
sauce, flavored. 

CORN PUDDING. 

12 ears of corn. 1 quart of milk. Salt and pepper to taste. 

4 eggs, thoroughly beaten. 3 tablespoons of sugar. 

Scald the corn, then grate it, add the other ingredients, and pour into a pud- 
ding dish. Bake slowly. 

CORN-STARCH PUDDING. 

1 quart of milk— less 1 cup. 1 teaspoon vanilla. % cup of sugar. 

2 tablespoons corn-starch— in a little milk. 2 eggs, beaten light. 

Let the milk and sugar boil before putting in the eggs, starch or vanilla. Save 
out the whites of the eggs for frosting, if you like. 

Corn-starch, as its name indicates, is the starch extracted from Indian corn. It is light 
and easily digested but is not very nutritious, as it is about 84$ starch, and 15% water. 

Note.— It should be understood that starch to be digestible should be cooked about 20 
minutes, and that it is not cooked as soon as swollen, as many cooks imagine. There is dan- 
ger of cooking corn-starch too short a time, and so leaving it indigestible, and with a raw 
taste. 



220 PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 

COTTAGE PUDDING. 

1 cup of suet. 2 cups of flour. Bake l A hour. Eat with hot sauce. 

1 egg. 1 teaspoon cream tartar. 

1 cup of sweet milk. V% tablespoon soda. 

BAKED COTTAGE PUDDING. 

1 pint of flour. 1 cup of milk. 2 teaspoons of baking powder. 

1 small cup of sugar. 1 tablespoon of butter. 

STEAMED COTTAGE PUDDING. 

3 tablespoons melted butter. 1 cup milk. Steam X hour. 

1 teacup sugar beaten together. 2 teaspoons of baking powder. 

1 egg. 2 cups of flour. 

Cracker Pudding. — Put a layer of split crackers in a deep pudding dish, put 
on raisins, cinnamon, nutmeg and a little salt, and fill it ~% full with alternate 
layers in this way, packing it down tightly; then put a plate over it, fill the dish 
with milk, and let it stand several hours to soak. Then beat 2 eggs with 1 cup 
sugar, pour off any milk not absorbed, and mix it with the eggs, adding more 
milk if needed; pour this over the pudding, leaving on the plate to keep it in shape, 
and bake about 2 hours. It should retain its shape when turned out, if right. 
Good either hot with sauce, or cold. 

Delmonico Pudding. — Mix 3 tablespoons corn-starch with a little cold milk, 
stir it into 4 cups milk, and add 6 tablespoons sugar and 5 yolks of eggs beaten 
together; boil 4 or 5 minutes, pour it in a pudding dish, and bake 30 minutes. 
Beat 6 tablespoons sugar and the whites of the eggs together, spread it on top of 
the pudding, and brown it delicately in the oven. 

ECONOMICAL PUDDING. 

154 pints stewed apples. M pound butter. Grated lemon peel and sugar to taste. 

1 cup cream. 4 eggs. 

Put in the butter while the apples are hot; the remainder when cool. Dried 
apples will do. Bake in a quick oven in a deep pie-tin, covered with crust. 

ENGLISH PUDDING. 

1 cup suet. 354 cups flour. Add salt. 

1 cup raisins, chopped. 1 cup of milk or cider. Steam 3 hours. 

1 cup molasses. Yt teaspoon soda dissolved in the molasses. 

Farina Pudding. — Boil a quart of milk and water, half and half; add a level 
teaspoon of salt, then slowly sprinkle in farina until it is a thin mush; turn into 
small cups or molds to harden. Serve cold, one to each person, with sugar and 
cream, or any favorite liquid pudding sauce. This is a good dessert for hot weather, 
and particularly relished by invalids and children. This pudding can be mixed 
with milk, sugar and eggs, and baked like a rice pudding. 

Gooseberry Pudding. — Cook the gooseberries until soft, in as little water as 
possible, rub them through a sieve, and add 2 tablespoons butter, 3 eggs well 
beaten, 1 teacup bread crumbs, % teacup sugar; put a border of puff paste 
around the edge of a pudding dish, beat the mixture well, or until very light, put 
it in the dish, and bake 40 minutes. As soon as it is done strew sugar over it 
thickly, and serve at once. 

Gold Pudding. — To the well-beaten yolks of 3 eggs, add % cup sugar, 1 table- 
spoon butter, 1 teaspoon baking powder in flour enough to make a fairly stiff 
batter, a little salt, and 1 cup seeded raisins; beat all well together, and steam 1 
hour. Serve with our white pudding sauce. The pudding will be a golden 
yellow, and with the white sauce will please both eye and palate. 

Graham Pudding. — Take 1 cup raisins seeded and chopped, 1 cup molasses, 1 
teaspoon soda dissolved in 1 scant cup sweet milk, % teaspoon salt, 2 cups 
graham flour; steam 3 hours. Fine. 

Steamed Graham Pudding.— Beat together 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons sugar, add 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 221 

1 tablespoon melted butter, 3^ cup sour cream, 1 cup sour milk, 1 teaspoon soda 
sifted into 3 cups graham flour; add dried cherries, or pour over sliced apples, if 
fruit is desired, and steam. It is nice with or without fruit. Eat with cream 
and sugar. 

Hanover Pudding. — Sift 2 teaspoons baking powder into Z% cups flour, add a 
pinch of salt and some spices (say cinnamon and nutmeg), 1 cup suet or % cup 
butter, % cup molasses, 1 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 cup stoned raisins; boil 2% to 3 hours. 
Eat with hard sauce, or any liquid sauce preferred. 

Baked Indian Pudding. — Stir gradually 1 even cup cornmeal in 1 quart of 
boiling milk, let boil a few minutes, lift from the stove, and add 1 teaspoon butter 
and a little salt; stir in % pint molasses, and % pi n ^ co ^ milk last; put into a 
pudding dish, well buttered, and bake 3 hours in a moderate oven. 

No. 2. — In 1 quart boiling milk, stir 1% cups cornmeal, and 1 cup molasses; 
let it cool and add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teacup suet, and stir in a little allspice; pour 
in 2 cups cold milk, and bake. 

Boiled Indian Pudding. — Warm 2 cups molasses and 2 cups milk, stir well to- 
gether; beat 4 eggs and stir with the molasses and milk; add 1 lb. beef suet 
chopped fine, and Indian meal enough to make a stiff batter; add 1 teaspoon each 
of cinnamon and nutmeg, and a little grated lemon peel; stir together well, tie in 
the floured bag, leaving room to swell, and boil 3 hours. Serve hot with a good 
sauce. 

No. 2. — Use 1 cup flour, 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 

2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons melted butter (or 4 tablespoons sour cream), 3 eggs, 1 
small pinch of soda, and enough cornmeal to make a stiff batter. Mix in the 
order given, and pour into a baking-powder can, or any other covered can of con- 
venient size; set in a kettle containing enough boiling water to come up nearly 
to the top of the can, place a weight on top of the can to keep it upright, and boil 
about 2 hours. Eat with the maple sugar sauce given among our pudding sauces. 

Lemon Pudding. — Use 1 cup milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 heaping teaspoon of 
baking powder, and flour enough to roll out; roll in 3 sheets. Take juice of 1 
lemon, 1 cup pulverized sugar, and spread between the layers like jelly. Put it 
in a tin and steam 3 hours. Serve with our Lemon Sauce No. 1. 

!LOWEIX PUDDING. 

1 cup milk. 1 cup raisins. 54 cup molasses. l A teacup brown sugar. 

1 teacup suet. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 teaspoon salt. Flour to make a stiff batter. 

Steam 3 hours. Serve with any good sauce. 

Minute Pudding. — Use 1 quart sweet milk, 2 eggs, 1 pint sifted flour, 1 level tea- 
spoon of salt; beat the eggs well, add the flour, and milk enough to make it 
smooth. Butter the kettle, and put in the remainder of the milk with the salt; 
when it boils, put in the eggs and flour, and cook until stiff. Serve hot with any 
simple sauce. 

No. 2. — Use 1 cup of water, 1 cup sweet milk, salt to taste; let it boil and stir 
in flour until it is a stiff batter; the flour must be stirred in very gradually, to 
avoid large lumps. Serve immediately with cream and maple sugar. 

Graham Flour Minute Pudding. — Take % water and % milk, and when it boils 
stir in graham flour the same as if water alone was used, except that it should be 
made a little thicker. Cook about 10 minutes. Eat with sugar and cream. If 
you do not happen to have cream, jelly makes a nice sauce. Children are very 
fond of this simple pudding. 

Orange Pudding. —Boil 2 cups milk; beat 2 eggs light, add 3 tablespoons sugar, 
grate in the yellow of 1 orange, pour in the milk hot, and beat 2 minutes; set the 



222 PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 

pan in a larger pan, filled with water, and put in the oven until set; sprinkle 
with sifted sugar, brown on top with a hot shovel, and cool. Eat with cream. 

No. 2.— Pare and slice 6 oranges, beat the yolks of 4 eggs with 1 small cup of 
sugar, and pour over the oranges; then beat the whites to a stiff froth, flavor with 
vanilla, and pour over all; do not cook, but keep on ice till served. 

Oxford Pudding. — Take 1 cup rice, 1 tablespoon oatmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar, 

1 teaspoon salt (level), 1 cup milk, 6 cups water; stir together, and bake 2 hours 
in a moderate oven. 

Peach Pudding. — Drain the liquor from a can of peaches, and wet ceraline 
with it, but do not make it too thick to pour, add 2 eggs, well beaten, % cup 
sugar, and a little salt; pour this mixture into a buttered pudding dish, drop the 
reserved peaches into the center of the mixture, and bake 15 to 25 minutes. Good 
hot or cold, and without sauce. 

Steamed Peach Pudding. — Fill a pudding dish with alternate layers of bread 
crumbs sprinkled with butter, and sweetened, sliced peaches, having a layer of 
bread crumbs on top; pour over this a custard made of 2 cups milk, the yolks of 

2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons sugar; steam it, and serve with Lombard Sauce. 

PLAIN PLUM PUDDING. 

2 cups bread crumbs. 2 cups seeded raisins. 2 cups milk or -water. 

1 teaspoon of spices. 2 cups chopped suet. 2 cups -washed currants. 

1 teaspoon of salt. 1 cup of flour. 3 cups sugar. 

Mix all the ingredients to make a stiff batter; if it is too thick, add more water, 
and if too thin, add more flour; then stir in 2 teaspoons of baking powder, beat it 
well, tie loosely in a pudding-cloth, so that it will have room to swell, and boil 4 
hours. It can be placed in a mold or tin basin, with a plate to cover it, and 
steamed for the same length of time, if more convenient. Serve with lemon pud- 
ding sauce. 

ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING. 

3 eggs. 1 cup of raisins. 1 cup currants. 

l A cup citron. M cup candied lemon. 1 cup sweet milk. 

3 cups flour. 1 cup molasses. 1 cup brown sugar. 

Vs teaspoon spices, nut- 2 even teaspoons of cream of i teaspoon of soda. 

meg. tartar. 

1 cup chopped suet,salt. Steam 4 hours. 

Potato Pudding. — Take 1 lb. of boiled potatoes mashed with sweet milk; add 
% lb. white sugar, 6 eggs, and 1 grated lemon; bake 40 minutes. 

Puff Pudding. — Scald 1 quart sweet milk, stir in 18 tablespoons of flour; when 
cool, stir in 6 well-beaten eggs; bake 20 minutes. Serve with butter and sugar. 

Steamed Puff Pudding. — Make a batter by sifting 2 teaspoons baking powder 
and a little salt into 2 cups flour, and add milk enough to make it quite soft; but- 
ter coffee-cups and put them in the steamer; drop in first a spoonful of batter, then 
1 of berries, steamed apples, or any fruit or sauce you happen to have; then put 
in batter to fill the cup, and steam 25 minutes. Serve with our berry pudding- 
sauce, using the same fruit for the sauce that you have in the pudding. 

Queen Pudding. — Use 1 pint of bread crumbs, 1 quart of milk, 1 teacup white 
sugar, yolks of 4 eggs, grated rind of 1 lemon. Beat yolks, sugar and lemon to- 
gether, and stir in the crumbs; bake until it is of a nice brown color; when done, 
beat the whites of 4 eggs to a stiff froth, with 4 tablespoons of sugar; spread fruit 
jelly or jam over the pudding, then cover it with the frosting and set it, in the 
oven to brown slightly. To be served cold. No one ever tires of this delicious, 
old-fashioned dessert. 

Raspberry Pudding.— Rub together 1% cups sugar, and J^ cup butter; add J£ 
cup milk, and 2 eggs; stir together well, and add 2 cups flour with % teaspoon of 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 223 

baking powder sifted in, and, lastly, add 2 cups fresh raspberries. Steam 3 hours. 

RATAFIA PUDDING. 

1 quart of milk. 2 teaspoons of corn-starch. H pound of ratafias. 

2 eggs. 4 tablespoons of sugar. Flavor -with cinnamon. 

Scald the milk in a double boiler; beat the sugar, eggs, and corn-starch to- 
gether, and stir into the scalding milk, when it thickens, pour it into a well- 
buttered pudding-dish; cover the top of the pudding with the ratafias— right side 
upwards — and bake % hour. (For directions for making ratafias, see "Candy.") 
Rhubarb Pudding. — Butter a basin which will hold Y% pints, and line it with 
good suet crust rolled out to the thickness of % inch. Fill it with rhubarb which 
has been stewed for }■£ hour, with a little moist sugar and the rind of half a lemon. 
Cover the pudding with pastry, rolled out to the same thickness as the sides, 
pinch the edges securely, tie in a cloth, and boil 2 hours, or until done; then turn 
out carefully, and cut a small opening in the top for the escape of the steam. 
Serve with sweetened melted butter, or cream and sifted sugar. 

Rice Pudding. — Use 1 pint milk, 1 tablespoon washed rice, % cup raisins, % CU P 
sugar, a little salt and nutmeg. Mix and put to bake; stir 4 times to keep rice 
and raisins mixed; let it bake until the rice is done. Serve cold with cream and 
sugar. 

A Hint.— It is not generally known that the cheap, broken rice is better for puddings 
than the more expensive article. One tablespoon of this, well washed, the usual quantity 
of milk and sugar, and a pinch of grated nutmeg, with a little butter, will make an excel- 
lent rice pudding. Bake very slowly. 

No. 2. — Soak 3^ cup rice in milk till soft, then add 4 cups milk, a pinch of salt, 
and 2 tablespoons sugar; put in the oven and bake very slowly for 2 hours; it 
should be of the consistency of jelly when done. The secret of success with this 
pudding is to bake very slowly, and bake a long time. A cup of seeded raisins is 
a great improvement if added when it is put in the oven. Thick sweet cream is 
the best sauce for it, or sugar and cream mixed. 

Sago and Tapioca puddings made in the same way are delicious, but without 
any raisins. 

No. 3. — Use 2 tablespoons rice, 1 quart milk, % teacup white sugar, 1 teaspoon 
vanilla or lemon; a little salt; scald the rice, then add the other ingredients and 
scatter on top a little butter cut in small bits. Bake 2 hours in a slow oven. 
Pour over it % hour before it is done % teacup cold milk; this will make it creamy. 

Roly Poly Pudding. — Use 1 cup chopped suet, 3 cups flour, 1 even teaspoon of 
baking powder, 1 even teaspoon of salt. Mix the suet, flour, salt, and baking 
powder together; then with a little cold water make a stiff dough; roll out in a 
long strip, and spread it with jam, preserves or fruit, leaving a little space at the 
edges free; wet the edges and roll up the strip. Dip a pudding cloth in hot 
water; flour it well; put in the pudding, roll, tie up the ends and wind it with a 
string to keep it in place; boil 2 hours. Serve with sweet sauce with a trifle of 
lemon juice. The roly-poly can be baked in a buttered pan, if preferred, but 
without the cloth. 

Sponge Pudding. — Use 1 cup butter rubbed into 3 cups flour: 1 teaspoon soda 
stirred in 1 cup molasses; 1 cup sweet milk; % teaspoon cinnamon; % teaspoon 
nutmeg; 1 cup fruit, if liked; steam 1% hours. 

STEAMED PUDDING. 

1 cup of molasses. 1 cup raisins,chopped fine. 2 teaspoons of cinnamon or instead 

X A cup butter (scant). 1 teaspoon soda. Lof this )4 a nutmeg. 

1 cup sour milk. 1 teaspoon salt. 3 cups flour. 

Steam 2 %. hours. 

Steamed Indian Pudding. — Use 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 1% cups Indian meal, 2 



224 PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 

small tablespoons beef suet, 2 tablespoons molasses, 3^ teaspoon each of cin- 
namon and ground ginger. 1 saltspoon salt, a pinch of soda. Heat the milk boil- 
ing hot, add the soda and pour it upon the meal; stir well, add the suet, 
chopped, and the salt; when it gets cold, add the eggs, beaten light, the molasses 
and spices, and beat all hard. Turn into a well-greased mold, and steam 4 hours. 
Eat with hard sauce. 

SUET PUDDING. 

1 cup of chopped suet. 1 cup of sour milk. 1 teaspoon of salt. 

1 cup of seeded raisins. 3 cups of flour. 1 teaspoon of soda. 

1 cup of molasses. 1 egg. Steam 2 hours. 

SUET PUDDING NO. 2.' 

1 cup molasses. 1 cup of raisins. X A teaspoon of soda. 

1 cup sweet milk. X A cup dried currants. 

1 cup suet, chopped fine. 2 l A cups flour. 

Mix well, add salt and spice to taste, and steam 2 hours. Eat with liquid 
sauce. If suet is objected to, or cannot be obtained, % cup of butter may be used. 
Be sure the pudding is thoroughly done. This is a good pudding to follow a 
picked up dinner, or if the supply is a little short, as it is rather substantial. 

Tapioca Pudding 1 .— Soak 1 cup tapioca for 2 hours in cold water enough to 
cover it; if not all absorbed drain off what is left; add 1 quart of milk, and soak 

2 hours longer; when the tapioca is quite soft, beat together 2 tablespoons melted 
butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Add this to the tapioca with the yolks of 4 
eggs beaten light; stir well and bake till brown on top; then add the whites of 
the eggs, beaten to a froth with pulverized sugar, and return to the oven to 
brown. Be careful to see that there are no hard lumps left. Eat either with or 
without sauce. - 

Sago pudding may be made the same way. 

Bice pudding can be made the same way, and can be made more dainty by 
adding the juice and grated rind of a lemon to the frosting. 

Apple Tapioca Pudding. — Put 1 cup tapioca in 1 quart of cold water, and let it 
soak slowly on the stove until thin like starch; have the apples peeled and quart- 
ered and in a pan ready to bake; season the soaked tapioca with sugar, butter 
and nutmeg, pour it over the apples, and bake till done. 

Cocoanut Tapioca Pudding. — Soak 3 tablespoons of tapioca in water over night; 
then put it in 1 quart of boiling milk and boil % hour; beat the yolks of 4 eggs with 

1 cup sugar, add 3 tablespoons prepared cocoanut, stir it in, boil 10 minutes longer, 
and pour into a pudding dish. Beat the whites of the 4 eggs to a stiff froth, stir 
in 3 tablespoons sugar, put this over the top with a little cocoanut sprinkled 
over it, and brown 5 minutes in the oven. 

Tapioca is the starch extracted from the root of a plant which grows in South Amer- 
ica. It is light and easily digested, but as it is about 8358 starch it is not very nutritious. 
"When used for puddings crushed tapioca is better than that in large granules. 

Cassava is the starch from the same root more highly granulated. It is called manioc 
in Brazil, and yucca in Peru. 

Sago is a starch obtained mainly from the pith of the sago palm. A single tree is said 
to yield 500 to 600 lb. of sago. It is mainly starch, is easily digested and so is adapted to in- 
valids, but is not very nutritious. Portland sago, or Portland arrow-root is a starch obtained 
from the tubers of a species of arum. 

WHORTLEBERRY PUDDING. 

2 cups sugar. 4 cups flour. 1 tablespoon of salt. 
2 cups bread crumbs. 6 eggs. 

1 quart of milk. 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder. 

Make to a stiff batter, and mix in 1 quart of whortleberries. Put it in a but- 
tered mold, and steam 3 hours. Half this will do for a small family. Serve with 
any liquid pudding sauce preferred. 

Apple Dumplings. — These may be either baked or boiled; if baked, they should 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 225 

be made with pastry; if boiled, use a light suet crust. In either case pare the 
apples and scoop out the core, filling up the space with sugar and a clove, or 
some grated lemon peel. 

For baked dumplings make a light puff paste, enclose the apples in it, mak- 
ing as many as desired, push the edges so closely that no seam can be seen, and 
bake 20 minutes in a good oven. Eat with a rich pudding sauce, or with maple 
syrup. 

For boiled dumplings chop % lb. beef suet very finely, add % lb. flour, a little 
salt and baking powder, and mix with water enough to give it consistency; roll 
out twice on the pastry board, enclose the apples as for baked dumplings, put 
them in boiling water, and boil fast 1 hour. Drain, and serve with sweet sauce. 

CHEEKY DUMPLINGS. 
Vi cup sugar. 2 heaping tablespoons lard. 2 cups sweet milk. 

2 cups stoned cherries. 1 cup prepared flour, or use flour and A little salt, 
baking powder same as for biscuits. 

After rubbing the lard into the salted flour, add the milk, then roll out }£ inch 
thick. Cut into squares, and into the middle of each one put 2 spoonfuls of the 
stoned cherries. Add sugar, and then bring the edges together and pinch closely. 
Bake until done on a floured baking-pan, with the joined edges at the bottom. 
Eat while hot. 

Huckleberry Dumplings.— Use 1 tablespoon lard, 4 cups flour, 1 cup milk, 3 
teaspoons baking powder. Sift the baking powder into the flour, work in the lard, 
and add the milk; when rolled out, cut rather larger than biscuit; after putting 
in the berries, close the edges tightly, and boil (or steam) 20 minutes. 

Jam Dumplings. — Roll out a puff paste, and spread jam (raspberry or any 
other) on it; make into dumplings and boil till done — about 1 hour usually. Serve 
with melted butter and sugar for sauce. 

Steamed Dumplings. — Pare and quarter nice tart apples, place them in a deep 
dish, adding a little water; make a crust as you would for tea biscuit, with sour 
cream, or rich buttermilk, if you have it; if not, use a good baking-powder recipe; 
roll out about 1 inch thick, place it over the apples, and steam J£ hour. Serve 
with a sauce made of % butter to % sugar, beaten to a cream. 

Fruit Dumplings of any kind can be made in this way, using any kind of 
fruit, either fresh or canned. 

Pandowdy.— Pare, core, and slice thin, sour, juicy apples; butter a deep dish 
and put in a layer of apples, sweeten with brown sugar and flavor with lemon 
peel; strew over it a layer of bread crumbs, and bits of butter; repeat alternately 
till the dish is full, finishing with a layer of bread crumbs. Bake till the apples 
are soft. A little cider improves it. To be eaten with sweetened cream. 



PUDDING SAUCES. 

Do not boil a sauce after adding the butter. If sugar and cream are served 
for a pudding sauce, pass them separately, letting each one use what their taste 
desires. 

Caramel. — This makes a fine flavoring for sauces as well as soups, and can be 
prepared as directed for soups. The prepared caramel can be used if you have 
it on hand. (See our recipe elsewhere for preparing it.) 

Caramel Syrup. — Sprinkle a tablespoon of sugar over the bottom of the frying- 
pan and put over the fire until it bubbles brown and begins to smoke, but do not 
let it burn black; then add a pint of water, and let it boil until the caramel is 
dissolved; then add 2 cups granulated sugar and melt to a syrup. If liked 
15 



226 PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 

heavier, add more sugar. This makes a fine substitute for maple sugar, and has 
much the same flavor. It is also excellent with griddle cakes. 

Substitute for Cream. — Use 2 cups sweet milk, yolk of 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of 
flour, sugar to sweeten, and any flavoring desired. Boil the milk, beat the egg 
and flour with sugar enough to make quite sweet; stir this into the milk when 
that boils, and let it simmer (not boil), stirring it well; flavor to taste when it 
cools. This is better than thin cream, and good for any pudding in which eggs 
are used. 

Acid Pudding Sauce. — Mix together thoroughly 1 cup sugar, % cup butter, 
and 2 tablespoons flour; add a little vinegar or juice of some acid fruit, and a 
little nutmeg; pour on about 2 cups of boiling water, and boil a few minutes. 

Berry Pudding Sauce. — Use 2 eggs, % cup butter, and 1 cup sugar beaten 
well, with 1 cup boiling milk, and 1 cup of berries, steamed apples, or any fruit 
(chopped) you may have. 

Brown Pudding Sauce. — Take the yolk of 1 egg, % CU P of butter, 1 cup of 
sugar; stir all to a cream, and add the whites of 2 eggs, and a little nutmeg. 

Cider Sauce. — Use 1 tablespoon of flour, 2 tablespoons of butter, 4 tablespoons 
of boiled cider, 1 cup brown sugar, % cup boiling water. Mix the flour and 
butter, stir in the sugar and cider, add the boiling water, mix all thoroughly, and 
simmer a little while. 

Cream Sauce.— Whip 1 cup cream and % CU P powdered sugar; add 1 teaspoon 
vanilla and the white of 1 egg beaten stiff; beat all together and serve cold. 

Sweet cream, either alone or sent with white sugar, makes an excellent sauce 
for most puddings; it is sometimes flavored. Whipped cream is also often used. 
Delicate Pudding Sauce. — Scald a teacup of sweet milk, beat the yolks of 2 
eggs with % cup of brown sugar, and stir in; when it is thick as custard remove 
from the fire, and when cool add whatever flavoring you choose, and the whites of 
the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. 

Dutch Sauce. — Take the juice of 1 lemon, and whites of 2 eggs. Beat together 
with sufficient sugar to give the proper consistency. 

Foaming Sauce. — Use 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon of boiling water. 
Beat the sugar and yolks together; pour the boiling water over. Beat the whites 
of eggs to a stiff froth and stir in last. 

Foam Sauce No. 2. — Take the yolk of 1 egg and beat it with 1 cup sugar and 
butter the size of an egg, until light, add boiling water and set it over a kettle un- 
til cooked; flavor with lemon juice; beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth and 
add the last thing. 

Fruit Juice Sauce. — Take % pi n t of any kind of fruit juice, like apricot, peach, 
etc., add 1 teaspoon of flour or corn-starch and % cup sugar; mix well, boil 5 
minutes, and strain. 

Golden Sauce. — Beat 1 heaping tablespoon of butter into 1 cup of powdered 
sugar until light; stir into this the yolks of 3 eggs and 3 tablespoons of milk or 
cream, and add the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Set the bowl in which the 
sauce is being made in a kettle of boiling water, and stir constantly until it 
thickens, but no longer; add lemon or vanilla when the sauce is done. 

Jelly Sauce. — Use 2 tablespoons of jelly, 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar, J^ 
teaspoon of corn-starch and water. Melt the jelly and sugar in % piit of boiling 
water; then dissolve the corn-starch in J^ cup of cold water and stir it in; bring 
to a boil and it will be done. Any jelly can be used. 

Hard Lemon Sauce. — Mix the grated rind of 1 lemon with 2 cups sugar, and 
beat it to a cream with 1 cup butter; then thoroughly mix with the sauce the 
strained juice of the lemon. 



PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 227 

Hard Vanilla Sauce is made by beating to a cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups 
sugar, and then mixing in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Either of these go well 
with plain boiled rice. 

Lemon Sauce. — Take 1 cup sugar, 1 lemon, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon corn- 
starch; boil from 8 to 10 minutes. 

Lemon Sauce No. 2. — Cream together 1 cup sugar and % CU P butter; add the 
juice and grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 egg well beaten, and 1 teaspoon grated nut- 
meg; set the dish containing it in a pan of hot water, add ~% cup boiling water, 
and stir 5 minutes. Keep hot until used. 

Lombard Sauee. — Heat 2 cups cream slowly, set in a sauce-pan of boiling wa- 
ter; when scalding hot, remove it from the fire, add 4 teaspoons powdered sugar, 
and % teaspoon grated nutmeg; stir 2 or 3 minutes, add the whites of 2 eggs, 
beaten stiff, mix thoroughly, add 1 teaspoon vanilla to flavor, and set in a pan of 
hot water to keep hot till served, stirring occasionally. 

Milk Pudding Sauce. — Take 1 egg, % cup butter, 1 cup of sugar; mix thor- 
oughly together, and then pour over them 1 cup boiling milk. Flavor with nut- 
meg or vanilla. 

Maple Sugar Sauce. — Shave maple sugar into a bowl of thick, sweet cream. It 
makes one of the best of sauces for cornmeal pudding. 

Molasses Sauce.— Use 1 tablespoon of butter, % CU P °' water, 1 cup of mo- 
lasses, % teaspoon of cinnamon (or nutmeg), % teaspoon of salt, juice of 1 lemon. 
Mix all together, and boil 20 minutes. Good for rice or apple puddings. 

Orange Sauce. — Use 1 cup hot water, 1 cup sugar, % cup butter, 1 heaping 
tablespoon of corn-starch wet in the strained juice of 2 acid oranges (the red, or 
blood oranges are the best); boil the water, sugar and orange peel, until the 
sugar is dissolved; then add the corn-starch and orange juice, and let boil until it 
thickens; take out the orange peel and add the butter, with 1 saltspoon of salt; 
stir well together, and serve. 

Pine-Apple Sauce. — Use 4 tablespoons sugar (heaping), 2 tablespoons of but- 
ter, white of 1 egg (beaten), pine-apple to flavor. Mix the sugar, butter and 
beaten egg, and add the flavor. Shape it into a pyramid, and make the sides like 
a pine-apple, using the point of a teaspoon. Any other flavor can be used, if pre- 
ferred. 

Plain Pudding Sauce. — Beat together thoroughly, 1 tablespoon butter, i table- 
spoons sugar, and 1 tablespoon flour; add the white of 1 egg, well beaten, and ^ 
cup boiling water, and any flavoring desired. This makes a good sauce for ordi- 
nary uses, although most sauce recipes call for more butter. It goes well with 
any hot pudding. 

Plum Pudding Sauce. — Rub 2 spoons of corn-starch smooth with a little milk, 
and stir it into 1 pint of boiling water; add a large piece of butter, and use cur- 
rant jelly to flavor it with. It may be well to know that a good foundation for 
plum pudding sauce is the liquor in which it was boiled, as that is quite rich. 

Plum Pudding Sauce No. 2. — Use fresh butter and pulverized or granulated 
sugar beaten together until the mixture becomes of the consistency of cream. 

Sweet Pudding Sauce. — Beat to a cream % CU P butter and 1 cup sugar; 
thicken 1% cups boiling water with a very little corn-starch (just enough to 
make it creamy); let it boil, draw to the back of the stove, and stir the butter 
and sugar in quickly. Flavor with vanilla, lemon, nutmeg, or anything preferred. 

Vanilla Sauce. — Use the yolk of 1 egg, whites of 2 eggs, % CU P sugar (pow- 
dered), 3 tablespoons sweet milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla. First beat to a stiff froth 



228 PUDDINGS AND DUMPLINGS. 

the whites of 3 eggs; beat the sugar in next; then the yolk of egg, and the milk 
and vanilla last. Serve at once. Most suitable for light puddings. 

Vinegar Sauce. — Use 1 tablespoon of flour, 1% tablespoons of vinegar, 1 cup 
sugar, 2 cups boiling water, 1 teaspoon of butter, a pinch of salt, nutmeg. Mix 
the flour in a little water and stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt and nutmeg; add the 
boiling water, and boil 10 minutes; add the butter last, just as it is about to be 
taken from the stove. 

White Pudding Sauce.— Take 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 
and a little salt, pour on 1 cup boiling water, and, when it boils, thicken with 1 
large tablespoon of flour blended in 3 of milk; boil 1 minute, flavor with lemon, 
take from the fire, and stir in the whites of 3 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, with 1 
tablespoon of powdered sugar added. 



DOUGHNUTS AND FRITTERS. 

The Fat. — The fat for frying doughnuts and fritters may be any soft fat free 
from rancidity, which is at hand; pure leaf lard, for this purpose, was once con- 
sidered indispensable, but soft suet, or the fat trimmed from the outside of fat 
beef, is excellent, combined with lard; also clarified drippings from roasted meat, 
either beef or pork. A small proportion of the hard kidney suet of beef may be 
added, but if hard suet is in excess in frying fat, food cooked therein will have a 
thick, tallowy crust, which is neither palatable nor digestible. Cotton seed oil, 
alone, or in combination with a small proportion of beef suet is used by some 
cooks; others dislike it. Of this, as with some other food preparations, the taste 
may perhaps be acquired. Mutton fat should never be added to the frying kettle, 
or used in any way; as stated elsewhere, the strong odor to which many people 
have a great aversion, is intensified by reheating; besides, it is the hardest of ani- 
mal fats, and cools too quickly on food cooked in it. If black specks adhere to the 
doughnuts after they are fried, put a few slices of raw potato in the fat, and the 
specks will adhere to the potato. If lard or drippings are not perfectly sweet, 
before putting in any dough put in some slices of raw potato and fry them; the 
potatoes will absorb the rank flavor. A few slices of raw potato in the kettle while 
cooking doughnuts will keep the odor from permeating the house. 

Potatoes are largely composed of starch and carbon and they purify the fat in much 
the same way that water is purified by charcoal; being very porous, and possessing great 
powers of absorption, they take up the gases and odors, thus purifying the fat. 

The Kettle. — A kettle should be kept for the purpose of frying doughnuts and 
fritters, and one rounded at the bottom, broad, and shallow, is the most conven- 
ient shape. 

Clarifying Fat. — The frying-f at must be clarified from time to time, as more or 
less flour falls to the bottom of the kettle whenever it is used; the fat can be 
poured while still warm — not hot — into a pan of water, and the settlings scraped 
from the cake of fat when it is cold; a more simple way is to set the kettle away 
with the fat in it to cool, and when next wanted for use set on the fire just long 
enough to start the cake of fat from the kettle; lift it from the kettle with a carv- 
ing fork, and with a knife cut the black from the cake of fat, wipe out the kettle 
with papers and put them in the fire; then return the fat to the kettle and add 
more if needed. The dirty looking sediment is commonly thrown away, but it 
need not be altogether wasted; when a considerable quantity has accumulated it 
may be clarified by the second method described for clarifying fats in our article 
on frying meats, etc. (which see.) 

The Dough.— Be careful in shortening all doughs to be fried in fat, either for 
doughnuts or fritters, for if too tender, they will absorb the frying fat. If short- 
ening is used, eggs must be added and the dough made more stiff, to counteract 
the tendency to soak fat; little or no shortening is best for most doughs cooked 
in fat. The fat must also be hot enough for any dough placed in it, to rise in- 
stantly to the surface of the fat; this can be ascertained by trying it with a small 
bit of dough, before proceeding with a quantity. Remember that a frequent 
cause of trouble is innot having the fat hot enough, and we have several times 
alluded to this. Have it so that it gives off a blue smoke, as explained for frying 
meats (which see). 

DOUGHNUTS OR CRULLERS, ETC. 

In frying all kinds of doughnuts let them thoroughly brown on one side be- 
fore turning them; in this way they rise thoroughly, and are much lighter than 
if frequently turned while frying, but fry both sides well before taking them out. 
Do not fry so many at once as to cause crowding. When done, take them out, 
let them drain, and when cool keep them in an earthen crock. 

(339) 



230 DOUGHNUTS AND FRITTERS. 

Fried cakes keep moist longer when made with brown sugar than with any 
other kind. • 

RAISED DOUGHNUTS. 

1 cup butter and lard mixed. 1 cup war m water. 3 eggs, beaten. 

2 cups sugar. 1 cup yeast. Salt and spices. 

Rub the butter and lard into a quart of sifted flour, add 1 even tablespoon of 
salt, and spices if liked; put the water in the flour, then the beaten eggs, then the 
sugar; now mix all together, and add flour enough to mold into a soft dough; let 
it rise over night, knead down again in the morning, let it lie on the molding- 
board until it begins to rise again, then roll out and cut in rings or make into 
twists, and fry in hot fat. A cup of washed and dried Zante currants are nice 
in these cakes. 

Plain Doughnuts. — Use 1 cup new milk, 1 level teaspoon of salt, 1 heaping tea- 
spoon of baking powder sifted into 2 cups of flour; mix all together, and add a 
little more flour if needed, but the cakes are better to be made quite soft. Do 
not mold the dough, but place it on the molding-board, flatten the dough down 
with the hands until it is about an inch thick, cut into shape and fry in hot 
fat. Powdered sugar can be dredged over them when served, if liked. 

Doughnuts No. 3. — Use 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2 cups new milk, salt, nutmeg, and 
flour enough to permit the spoon to stand upright in the mixture; add 2 tea- 
spoons baking powder and beat until very light. Drop by the dessertspoonful 
into hot fat. They will not absorb the fat, and are as digestible as any dough- 
nuts. 

Doughnuts No. 4. — Usel tablespoon butter, 1% cups sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup sour 
milk (or buttermilk), 1 teaspoon soda; flour enough to roll out. Spice to taste. 

Doughnuts No. 5. — Use 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons shortening, 1 cup sweet 
milk, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar and flour to roll out. 

Coffee Doughnuts. — Usel cup sour milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of 
sugar, 1 teaspoon of soda; make with flour as soft as you can handle it; then 
make into twists or rings, and fry in hot fat. These are not rich, but are nice in 
the morning with coffee. 

Cream Doughnuts.— Beat 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar and 2 eggs together; 
add 1 teaspoon soda, a little salt, and flour enough to roll. 

FRIED CAKES. 

1 cup milk. Flour to roll. 2 cuds sugar (scant). 4 medium-sized eggs. 

1 large spoon melted butter. 3 teaspoons baking powder. Cinnamon and salt, 

FRIED CAKES NO. 3. 

2 cups sour milk. 2 cups sugar. 2 eggs. 1 teaspoon soda. 
1 tablespoon shortening. 1 teaspoon of salt. Flour to roll. 

CRUIXERS. 

1 cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 3 eggs. 

2 cups sour milk. 2 teaspoons baking powder. Spice to taste. 

Use flour enough to stiffen; cut out, and fry in hot fat. 

JOEEY BOYS. 

2 cups Indian meal scalded. 54 cup sugar. l'cup flour. . 

V% teaspoon of soda. Vi teaspoon of salt. legg. 

Drop by tablespoonf uls into hot fat, and fry like doughnuts. 



FRITTERS. 

These are composed of batters and doughs of various kinds, usually enclosing 
fruits or sweets of some sort, and are fried in hot fat; they are eaten hot, and 
some sweet sauce or sugar served with them. They should be quickly made, and 



DOUGHNUTS AND FRITTERS. 231 

thoroughly beaten. The batter should be smooth and thick enough to cling to 
whatever is dipped into it without running off, and the fat should be very hot, in 
fact, it should smoke. Probably more cooks fail on the heat of the fat than on 
anything else, and yet it should not be too hot. When it gives off a blue smoke, 
as we described in our directions for frying meats, etc., it is right; or test it by 
dropping in a teaspoonful of the batter; if the temperature isright,the batter will 
quickly rise to the surface in a puff ball, spattering and dancing, and will speed- 
ily become a light brown. When the fat is right, it will not soak into the dough, 
but will make it delightfully crisp, light, and puffy. In the introduction to this 
chapter, we explain about the kinds of fat to use. Take the fritters out with a 
skimmer, as soon as they are done, dislodge any fat which adheres, pile them in 
a hot dish, sift sugar over them, and serve at once. 

The batter may be simply made, as for griddle cakes, and of about the same 
consistency. If it is allowed to stand an hour or so before being used, the starch 
grains will swell by contact with the moisture, and hence it will be lighter. Eggs 
added to the batter make it crisp and delicate, and ensure a good coating over the 
fruit, etc., enclosed. Baking powder, or cream of tartar and soda, are sometimes 
used when the batter is wanted very light; when shortening is used add eggs 
also, as their albumen quickly coagulates in the hot fat, and forms a crust, or 
film, which prevents the fat from soaking in. The best batter is made with the 
yolk of egg, and just before using, the white is beaten to a stiff froth and added 
also. Always add a little salt. A little more flour can be used, making the batter 
a little thicker, for fruit which is very juicy. 

Fritters are quickly made, and can be served for breakfast, luncheon, tea, or 
as a dessert for dinner, and they are almost invariably relished. Hot caramel 
syrup, or maple syrup can be served with them, or the simple white syrup made 
of granulated sugar and a little water, while many of the pudding sauces are also 
suitable. 

Fritter Batter (Plain). — Use 2 cups of flour and 2 eggs. Beat the eggs and 
flour together, and add enough sweet milk to make a batter of the consistency of 
griddle cakes; then beat in a level teaspoon of salt. This batter is simply made, 
and can be used for any kind of fritters. 

Batter No. 2. — Mix together 3^ cup water or milk, 1 saltspoon of salt, 1 table- 
spoon melted butter, and the well-beaten yolks of 2 eggs; then beat in enough 
flour to make a good batter of it. Many cooks use 1 tablespoon of olive oil in- 
stead of the butter, and prefer it. Just before using it beat in the well-beaten 
whites of the 2 eggs. If it is used for meat, oysters, or clams, 2 teaspoons of vin- 
egar or lemon juice will be an improvement; if for fruit, add instead 1 teaspoon 
of sugar. 

Apple Fritters. — Peel the apples, and take out the core with a core-cutter, cut 
the apples in thick slices, crosswise^this makes a ring; sprinkle with sugar and 
let them lie for an hour; then dip each piece in batter, and fry until of a light 
brown color. Sprinkle again with sugar and send to the table. 

Banana Fritters. — Cut the bananas in slices^ inch thick, sprinkle with pow- 
dered cinnamon, dip in batter, and fry in hot fat. Serve with syrup. 

Berry Fritters.— Make a batter of 2 eggs well beaten, add a gill of cream and 
a gill of milk thickened with a tablespoon of corn-starch; season with a little 
sugar and cinnamon. Put raw strawberries into this batter, and fry them in a 
pan of hot lard, a spoonful at a time. Dish them in a pyramid, and sift sugar 
over and between them. Raspberries, blackberries, currants, and other small 
fruits can be made into fritters in this manner, and are delicious. 

Bread Fritters. — Cut stale bread into slices % inch thick, and then cut it into 
small squares. Into 2 cups milk put a piece of cinnamon and the rind of a lemon; 
boil it % hour; dip the bits of bread in the milk, lay them on a cloth to drain, 
then dip them in beaten egg, and fry a delicate brown in smoking hot fat. 
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve. Or (2) dip thin slices of yeast bread in 



232 DOUGHNUTS AND FRITTERS. 

the plain fritter batter, and fry a delicate brown. Sprinkle on powdered sugar, 
and garnish with jelly. 

Cake Fritters. — Cut rounds, squares or triangles of any kind of dry cake, dip 
them in milk with a little lemon juice added, then flour them, and fry in hot fat. 
Carrot Fritters. — Take 2 boiled carrots, beat them to a pulp, add 2 eggs, 3 
tablespoons of flour, moisten them with milk or cream, add 1 teaspoon sugar, and 
beat together thoroughly; drop by spoonfuls in smoking hot fat; when done, 
squeeze a little orange juice over them, and sprinkle on pulverized sugar. 

Clam Fritters. — Drain the liquor from the clams, and make a fritter batter 
with it; chop the hard part of the clams, mix them in the batter, and drop by 
spoonfuls into smoking hot fat. 

Corn Fritters. — Boil the corn, cut it from the cob, mix it in the fritter batter, 
and drop by spoonfuls in smoking hot fat. 

Cornmeal Fritters. — To the well-beaten yolks of 4 eggs, add 3 cups milk, 2 
cups cornmeal, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt; 
mix all thoroughly, and add the well-beaten whites of the 4 eggs, and ^ cup flour 
in which 3^ teaspoon baking powder has been sifted, drop by spoonfuls into 
smoking hot fat; when done, drain on brown paper, to absorb the fat. Eat with 
a sauce made of butter and sugar, seasoned with cinnamon. 

Cream Fritters. — Mix 3 cups flour with 2 cups milk; stir in 6 well-beaten eggs, 
then 2 teaspoons salt and 2 cups cream; stir the whole just enough to intermix 
the cream, and fry. .The addition of a few tender apples, chopped fine, will 
improve them. 

Fruit Fritters. — Almost every kind of fruit will make fritters. If the fruit is 
cut up, sprinkled with sugar, and allowed to stand 2 or 3 hours before being used, 
the flavor is improved; a little grated lemon peel can be added also, if desired. 
Then drain the fruit, dip or mix it in batter, and fry in hot fat. Apricots, 
peaches, pears, pineapples, etc., make nice fritters in this way. Canned fruit 
can also be used, and makes nice fritters. 

Jelly or Jam Fritters. — Make a batter of 2 eggs, 1 cup of milk, and flour 
enough to thicken to the consistency of griddle cakes; beat in a level teaspoon of 
salt, and drop in spoonfuls in hot lard; fry brown. When well drained, place on 
eaqh one a hit of jam or firm jelly. (Lemon jelly made with gelatine is nice for 
these fritters.) 

Lemon Fritters. — The lemons must be sliced as thin as paper, the seeds care- 
fully removed, and then cover them with butter, and fry in hot fat. 
Orange fritters can be made the same way. 
MeatFritters. — Take cold meat of any kind, cut it into small pieces, season it 
with pepper and salt, cover with fritter batter, and fry in smoking hot fat; drain 
on brown paper and serve. A few drops of lemon juice or vinegar on the meat 
and a little nutmeg grated on will be an improvement, or the lemon juice or vinegar 
can be added to the fritter batter. (See our batter No. 2.) Tripe makes good 
fritters. 

Oyster Fritters. — Drain the liquor from the oysters, and to 1 cup of this liquor 
add 1 cup milk, 3 beaten eggs, a little salt, and flour enough to make a thin bat- 
ter; chop the oysters, add them to the batter, and drop by the spoonful into 
smoking hot fat. Serve immediately when done. Or (2) boil the oysters until the 
liquor flows; make a batter with the liquor, dip in each oyster whole, and fry in 
smoking hot fat. A little lemon juice or vinegar added either to the oysters or 
the batter will be an improvement. 



DOUGHNUTS AND FRITTERS. 233 

Pork Fritters.— Dip thin slices of fat pork, or breakfast bacon, in batter, and 
fry in hot fat. 

Potato Fritters. — Use 2 cups mashed potatoes, 1 egg, % teaspoon salt, and 3 
tablespoons flour, into which % teaspoon baking powder is sifted; make in rolls, 
roll in flour, and fry in hot fat. These are a nice relish for breakfast. 

Raw Potato Fritters. — Grate 4 large raw potatoes, add a little salt and cayenne 
pepper, and make a rather thick batter by adding 2 beaten eggs; drop in hot fat 
in spoonfuls, and fry a light brown. 

Rice Fritters.— To 1 cup of boiled or steamed rice allow 2 eggs, and a table- 
spoon of flour; add a saltspoon of salt, and 1 of ground cinnamon; mix thor- 
oughly with the hand, then drop in spoonfuls in hot lard; fry brown. 

Salsify Fritters. — Boil the salsify, mash it, pick out all tough fibres, and for 
each 2 cups of mashed salsify work in 1 tablespoon of butter, and then % cup of 
milk and 3 well-beaten eggs; thicken with a little flour, make into round cakes, 
dredge with flour, and fry in smoking hot fat; or the batter may be fried like 
griddle cakes. 

Vegetable Fritters.— Boil the vegetables until tender, and either cut in slices, 
dip them in the fritter batter and fry, or chop fine, mix the pieces into fritter 
batter, and drop it by spoonfuls into smoking hot fat and fry a delicate brown. 
Celery, parsnips, and other vegetables can be used. 

Various Fritters. — An ingenius cook can easily devise varieties by using dif- 
ferent flavors. Use vinegar or lemon juice for meat, oyster or clam fritters, and 
cinnamon, nutmeg, orange juice, jellies, etc., in various combinations, and also 
vary the sauces used. As almost any meat, fruit or vegetables can be used for 
fritters, the varieties that can be produced are almost endless. 

Cannelons. — These are made of puff puste rolled very thin, and cut in pieces 
about 2 inches wide and 6 inches long; place upon each piece a spoonful of jam, 
wet the edges with the white of egg, and fold the paste over twice to prevent the 
escape of the jam while frying; slightly press the edges of the cannelons, and fry 
in boiling lard until a nice brown. Lay them on blotting paper to absorb super- 
fluous fat, and sprinkle with sugar before serving. Cannelons can be made with 
any kind of fresh fruit, and are delicious. 



CAKE. 

The 4 corner-stones of cake making are flour, sugar, butter and eggs. By com- 
bining these in varying proportions and using a few minor accessories, an endless 
variety of attractive and delicious cakes are obtained. 

In measuring for cake the cups, if more than 1 is used, must be of exactly 
the same size, for the cook must remember that success is more apt to follow 
accuracy of measurement. Make the fire the first thing, and while the oven is 
heating, measure and place on the cooking table all the materials for the cake, 
and have at hand all the implements (forks, spoons, cup, beaters,) which will be 
required in making it. 

Materials for Cake. — These should always be of the best quality, as cake is a 
luxury, and if served at all should be made of the best ingredients. Have every- 
thing perfectly dry, as dampness in the materials is almost certain to produce 
heaviness in the cake. It is best to have each ingredient properly prepared be- 
fore beginning to mix the cake, and in cold weather warm them to a uniform 
temperature and they will mix better. While all the materials should be good, 
however, many cooks are needlessly extravagant in their use of butter and eggs, 
and we commend to our readers the economical recipes which we have gathered 
together in this, as in other departments of the book. 

Butter used in cake making should be free from rancidity. In cold weather 
let it stand near the stove to soften, but most cake makers agree that it should 
not melt. It must be worked and beaten with the sugar until it is thoroughly 
creamed. Many cooks use moderately salted butter without washing, as the 
small amount of salt which it contains adds to the flavor of the cake, but if it is 
excessively salted the washing process is indispensable. To wash butter it must 
be thoroughly worked with the hands in a deep pan or pail of water until it is 
soft and pasty, changing the water once or twice if needed. In cold weather 
the water may be slightly warmed, but in summer it should be cold. 

Sugar should always be dry and well powdered. For delicate cakes, pulver- 
ized or the finest grade of granulated sugar should be used. Some kinds of fruit 
cake have a fine flavor imparted by using a good quality of unrefined brown 
sugar, and brown sugar is suitable for most dark cakes. Cake is made heavy by 
using very coarse granulated sugar. Lumpy sugar should always be crushed 
and sifted. 

Molasses for cooking should be the rich, dark New Orleans or West India 
molasses. Light colored syrups are sometimes made of glucose and are inferior, 
being less sweet than that drained from crude sugar, these grades being the viscid, 
brown liquid which drains from sugar during its formation. In baking cakes re- 
member that those containing molasses burn quicker than others. 

Flour. — Pastry flour (that is "old process" or St. Louis flour) is much the best 
for all kinds of cake. It contains more starch and less gluten than the new pro- 
cess flour. A trifle less flour (about % less) must be used if it is new process. Be 
sure the flour is dry; sift it before using, and if it is cold, warm it slightly. 
Measure it after being sifted. 

Eggs will beat more quickly in cold weather if they are placed for a short 
time in warm water before breaking them. In summer put them in cold water 
for a short time. Break each egg separately into a cup to make sure that it is 
not stale; not only look to see if it is good but test it also by smelling. An egg 
that is the least tainted will spoil the cake or anything else in which it is used. 
The quickest way to separate the yolk and the white is to carefully break them 
into a plate and then lift out the yolk with the fingers, allowing the white to fall 
between them. If even the smallest amount of yolk gets mixed into the whites 
they will not froth. Beat eggs in an earthen dish. The whites and yolks are best 
beaten separately as it takes longer to beat the whites. When beaten separately, 
if the cook has no assistant, the yolks should be beaten first and until they are a 
light lemon color, and strain them if the cake is fine; then beat the whites until 
they are too stiff to fall out of an inverted dish. If the whites become liquid 

(234) 



CAKES. 235 

again they cannot afterwards be made light, so do not stop beating till they are 
light and stiff. The eggs should be put in a cool place till wanted to use. When 
only the whites are used, the yolks, if unbroken and kept covered, will keep 2 or 
3 days, but it is better to use them at once, working them into custards, etc. 
The whites of eggs will beat quicker if a pinch of salt is added, and they also beat 
more easily in a cool place or in a draught. If both yolks and whites are 
strained through a sieve before beating them they will beat smoother and easier. 

The object in beating eggs is to force in air. The more and quicker they are beaten the 
better, up to the point where the albumen forms a thin film around all the air bubbles it 
will hold— millions of them. More beating after that only serves to break the film and let 
the air escape, and then the eggs will fall. If allowed to stand after being beaten, their 
own weight will break the thin films, the air will escape, and they will fall. Because of the 
oil contained in yolks they will, if added to beaten whites, cause the films to break, and so 
let out the air. This is the principle involved. • . 

Milk when called for in our recipes, always means sweet milk, unless other- 
wise specified. Some cooks use water instead of milk in even the best cakes, and 
water can be substituted without detriment, so that if you wish to make a cake 
calling for milk, and you are out of it, you can still make the cake and use water 
instead. 

Spices for cake should be of the best quality. Cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and 
pepper are much nicer if bought in bulk, and freshly ground at home, when needed. 

Fruit is best prepared the day before. It should be dry when used. Leave 
out a little flour for the purpose and roll the fruit in it just before putting it in 
the cake. With raised cake spread fruit lightly on top, pressing it in a little, 
but do not beat it in or it will sink to the bottom. 

Almonds should be blanched by being put into boiling water; leave a few 
minutes and then rub off the skin; then throw into cold water to preserve their 
color. If they are pounded, a little white of egg or water should be added every 
2 or 3 minutes to prevent their oiling. Or cut them up and roll with a rolling- 
pin on a table or marble slab, spreading a little sugar on first. If not pounded or 
rolled they should be cut into thin slices or divided lengthwise. To shread 
almonds, cut them with a sharp knife into tine strips lengthwise. 

Citron should be sliced very thin, and the pieces should not be too large. 

A cocoanut should have the milk drawn out through a hole cut in the end; 
crack it and take the meat out (having previously loosened it by pounding it all 
over) and dry for a few hours in a cool open oven; then grate and use. If any is 
left it can be kept for several weeks, if necessary, by sprinkling it with sugar and 
keeping it in a cool, dry airy place. 

Currants should be washed in warm water, changing it 2 or 3 times, and rub- 
bing them well with the hand. Then drain them, spread out on a cloth, and pick 
out all bad ones, sticks, grit, etc., and dry them in the sun; an oven Unless very slow 
will harden them. It is well to prepare several pounds at a time, and keep them 
in glass jars. English currants are apt to be "gritty;" they may be made to 
"plump," or fill out, by pouring boiling water over them, after which dry them. 
Currants are neither so wholesome nor nutritious as raisins. 

Dates are prepared by separating them from each other; then put them into 
lukewarm water, shake them about for 2 or 3 minutes, and drain. Now take out 
the stones; this can be done with the fingers as a rule, but if they are very hard 
use a sharp knife. Then rinse them very carefully again, and drain them very 
thoroughly. 

Raisins can be stoned more easily if boiling water is poured over them and 
left on 5 or 6 minutes, as that loosens the seeds. Pick out stems and defective 
raisins. For light fruit cake they may be chopped, but not too fine. Have them 
perfectly dry when used, and dredge flour over them. 

Baking powder, Cream of Tartar and Soda.— Cake should not be made over- 
light with baking powder. A less quantity is needed, in porportion to the flour, 
than for biscuits, which are made light and comparatively dry, as they are to be 
eaten soon after being made, but cake is made to keep for some time— a week or 
longer. It should of course be light, but fine-grained and moist. The rule for 
biscuits is about 3 rounded teaspoons of baking powder to a quart ot flour; for 
that amount of flour in cake, made with eggs properly beaten, 1 teaspoon of bak- 
ing powder is sufficient. The baking powder or cream of tartar should be well 
sifted into the flour before mixing that into either cake, biscuits or bread. Dis- 
solve the soda in a little milk or water. 



236 CAKES. 

Cream of tartar and soda can be used instead of baking powder in any recipe, 
or vice versa, but as all baking powder contains some starch or flour to keep it 
dry (see our recipe for making it) it is not quite as strong as the pure cream of 
tartar and soda, so that about % more baking powder is required than of the 
cream of tartar and soda combined. The usual proportion for 1 quart of flour 
for bread or biscuit is 1 teaspoon soda and 2 teaspoons cream of tartar; or 3 
rounded teaspoons baking powder; and a convenient rule is 1 level teaspoon of 
baking powder to 1 cup flour, but cake, when lightened with eggs, requires less 
than % of this. 

The 2 alkalies used in cooking are soda and potash or their derivatives. Potash is found 
in all fertile soils, and is essential to plants, and all land plants when burned yield potash. 
When calcined and purified it yields pearlash. Saleratus is a kind of pearlash derived by 
subjecting it to the action of carbonic acid gas. The potash compounds are now little used. 

Soda is obtained from sea-salt or marine plants. It is called sal-soda when unpurified. 
It is combined with 1 part of carbonic acid to form the carbonate, and 2 parts of carbonic 
acid to form the bicarbonate of soda, or the baking soda ordinarily used. Soda should 
always be thoroughly pulverized before it is measured so that there are no lumps in it. 
Strong alkalies are powerful poisons and must be counteracted or rendered inert before en- 
tering the system. This is done by the acids used. The too free use of soda or saleratus in 
cooking is injurious to the health, and is recognized and commented on by good medical 
authorities. The alkali particularly affects the coatings of the stomach and bowels and 
causes indigestion and bowel complaint, sometimes ending in acute inflammation. Children 
are often injured by it. Bicarbonate of soda contains twice as much carbonic acid as com- 
mon washing soda, but if it is dissolved in hot water, or heated in any way, this extra gas is 
driven off, and it is at once reduced to the level of common washing soda. For this reason 
soda should never be dissolved in hot water; tepid water may be used, but cold water or 
milk is best. It will dissolve as thoroughly in cold as in hot water, although not as quickly; 
or it can be thoroughly mixed and sifted into part of the flour, and will then be incorpor- 
ated so as to leave no yellow spots. If used in molasses, dissolve it in as little water as 
possible, beat it into the molasses till it foams, and then add it to the other materials at 
once. 

Cream of Tartar is an acid obtained from crude tartar, or argol, a substance deposited 
on the sides of the casks during the fermentation of wine. It is purified by using charcoal 
and clay, and crystallized. When cream of tartar unites with the bicarbonate of soda, 
carbonic acid gas is liberated, and the minute bubbles permeate the mass of dough and 
make it rise, while the residue forms a salt known as Eochelle salt. This is a well-known 
cathartic, but is not harmful in the small quantities thus formed. The acid and the alkali 
should, however, be so proportioned as to neutralize each other. They then form what is 
known as a neutral salt. If the acid is in excess the salt will be acid, and if the alkali is in 
excess it will be alkaline. Experiment shows that 1 level teaspoon of soda is neutralized 
by 2 full teaspoons of cream of tartar— that is, by a little more than 2 parts of cream of 
tartar to 1 part of soda; and these are the proportions in which they should be used. 

Muriatic acid is sometimes used instead of cream of tartar, and when acted on by soda 
it leaves a residue of common salt, which is unobjectionable. It acts so quickly, however, 
that it is not adapted to domestic use, as much of the gas will escape before it performs 
any work, but it is sometimes used in bakeries. 

When sour milk is used, the lactic acid it contains acts on the soda the same as the acid 
cream of tartar, and so liberates gas. The proportion to use is 1 teaspoon of soda to 1 pint 
of sour milk, or y 2 teaspoon to a cup, but it should be remembered that very sour milk con- 
tains more acid than that which is just turning, so that some judgment is needed in gaug- 
ing the proportions. In recipes where molasses is used, milk which tastes or smells sour, 
hut is not £7uefc,can be used as sweet milk. 

Molasses furnishes another acid which answers the same purpose as that of the sour 
milk and cream of tartar, acting on the alkaline soda and liberating carbonic acid gas. 

How to Mix Cake. — Probably, as many cakes are wasted through improper 
mixing, as by any other cause, unless it is insufficient beating. In mixing cakes 
in which butter is used proceed in the following order: 

1. Cream the butter. If it is very cold, warm without melting it. (For the 
method of creaming butter, see "Puddings.") 

2. Add the sugar and beat it thoroughly. If a very large amount is used, part 
may be beaten into the eggs. 

3. Add the seasoning — spices, lemon-juice, flavoring extracts, etc., as given 
in each recipe, and incorporate them well with the butter and sugar. 

4. Add the beaten yolks of egg, and beat all well together. 

5. Add the milk. 

6. Add the flour, which should be already thoroughly mixed with the baking 
powder. Stir it in, a little at a time, or add a little flour and milk alternately, 
stirring continually, and now beat long and vigorously to fill it with air and make 
the cake smooth and fine-grained. 

7. Add the beaten whites of egg. 

8. Add the fruit, if used, which should be already dusted with flour. Make 
fruit cakes a little stiff er with flour than those without fruit. 

Beat continuously, from beginning to end of the process. Place the dough in 
the prepared cake-tins and send to the oven as soon as possible, when finished eo 



CAKES. 237 

that the air which has been beaten in (and which, by expanding, makes it light) 
may not escape. 

Always work cake together with a spoon, if possible, but when a large quan- 
tity of fruit cake is made, it is necessary to use the hand in order to mix it prop- 
erly. 

For sponge cakes (which are those made without butter or shortening) pro- 
ceed as follows: (1) Beat the yolks. (2) Gradually add the sugar and beat well. 
(3) Add the flavoring and water, if used. (4) Add the well-beaten whites of eggs. 
(5) Sift in the flour and carefully fold it in. After adding the flour, sponge cakes, 
unlike other cakes, should not be beaten. The lightness depends on the quan- 
tity of air beaten into the egg. Less beating is required when soda and cream of 
tartar are used, but the cake is not as good. 

Always use an earthen bowl or pan, for mixing cake. Butter and sugar, if 
worked to a cream in tin, is apt to be discolored. Beat the eggs with a silver or 
wooden spoon. As a rule (in cold weather, always), pour hot water into the mix- 
ing-bowl to warm it; then wipe dry. This facilitates the blending of the butter 
and sugar, and is the first operation. If a large quantity of cake is to be made, 
the cook should have an assistant; for a small quantity, and if the cook is alone, 
everything in the way of ingredients or utensils should be ready at hand on the 
cooking table, so that there will be no delay. Much depends on mixing the cake 
rapidly, and immediately placing it in the oven. Those who will bear the above 
rules in mind can handle any cake, so far as the mixing is concerned. 

Beating and Stirring. — There is a good deal of difference between beating 
and stirring. Stirring merely mixes the different ingredients together, while 
beating carries in air and thoroughly distributes it through the mass, and in 
baking, this air expands and makes the cake light. Unless the air is well beaten 
into the dough, no after attention will make it light and wholesome. After put- 
ting in the beaten white of egg, too much subsequent beating will let the air 
escape, and so be a detriment. It is beating, not stirring, which is needed 
throughout the process. 

Cake Baked in Paper. — If there is danger that cake will rise above the top of 
a pan and run out, or if you have a large cake 
and the pan is too small to hold it, the cake 
can be baked in paper as shown in the accom- 
panying engraving. Make the paper case out 
of thick glazed paper, coat it thickly with but- 
ter, put in the cake, and the paper will not 
burn in a moderate oven. 

The Oven and Baking. — While cake is being 
made there should be no other cooking done 
on the stove, for as success depends very much 
on the baking, the cake maker should con- 
stantly watch and have absolute control of the 
fire. Make the fire the first thing, and while 
the oven is heating mix and prepare the cakes. 

In the absence of a thermometer, a few 
rules are here given for testing the heat of the cake bakeiTTn paper. 

oven, but as every stove or range bakes a little 
differently from others, the cook must learn by practice the proper heat required 
for different kinds of cake. (1) Put white writing paper in the oven, and if it 
turns to a dark yellow color —not brown— in 5 minutes, the oven is of the right tem- 
perature for most cakes. (2) Place a little flour on a tin plate, and set it in the 
oven; if it turns a dark yellow in 5 minutes, the heat is right. (3) Hold the hand 
in the oven and count 12. If you cannot do this the oven is too hot. 

Cake Pans. — Layer cakes are baked in thin cakes in tins made for the purpose, 
sometimes called jelly-cake tins. Loaf cakes are baked in deep bread tins, or 
hoops and large pans made for the purpose. Flat loaves are usually baked in the 
old-fashioned brick shaped tins and are 1 or 2 inches in thickness. 

The cake pans (with a few exceptions found among the recipes) should be 
well buttered, and clean, thick manilla or heavy writing paper fitted to the bot- 
toms of the pans, and for rich fruit or wedding cakes, which require baking for 
hours, 3 or 4 thicknesses will be a safe-guard against burning the bottoms of the 
cakes. It is not necessary to line the sides and ends of the pans if they are 




238 CAKES. 

well buttered; a knife slipped around the cake will easily detach it. In baking 
layer cakes the pans are not usually papered to prevent them from sticking, 
but when paper is not used butter the pans well, throw in a handful of flour and 
shake it well over the inside of the pan; then drop it, bottom side upward, to re- 
move all the flour which does not adhere to the butter. If layer cakes do not 
easily remove from the pans, leave them for a few moments bottom side upwards, 
turned on a cloth, and the steam from the cakes will soon cause them to drop. 
If buttered paper is used put it in buttered side up, and let it overlap the sides 
about 1 inch to assist in lifting out the cake. 

If a cake pan with a tube in the center is used the cake will bake more evenly. 
Many substitutes are devised by those who are without such pans, such as a 
lamp-chimney, glass bottle or paper tube. They should be greased, and placed 
in the center of the pan before the batter is poured in. Something weighted 
down is best, like a tumbler or bottle filled with sand. 

Small cakes require a quick oven when they are first put in, to make them 
rise, but the heat should not be increased after they have begun to bake. Large 
cakes should be put into a more moderate oven in order that they may be well 
done in the middle before they are over-done on the outside. Cake will not be 
light if the oven is too cold at first, or if it is too hot and bakes the cake too 
quickly. The oven is too hot if it browns the cake before it rises. Cake should 
first rise at the edge, then the middle should come up, crack a little, then settle 
back and the cracks close. Too much flour has been used if it rises in the center 
the most, cracks, and remains up. Most loaf cakes require an oven about the 
same as bread, but layer cakes are best staked quickly and need a brisk fire. For 
all cake the temperature should be even. For this reason avoid stirring the fire 
or crowding on heat during the process of baking, and if the fire is replenished 
add little fuel at a time to keep the heat uniform. 

If the oven bakes too rapidly on the bottom, an inverted dripping-pan may be 
placed in it, or if required the bottom of the oven can be covered with hard-baked 
bricks. If it bakes too rapidly at the top, placing a thin hard- wood board, or a 
thick piece of paste-board on the top grate, over the cakes, is much better than 
covering the cakes with paper, which is likely to interfere with the crust as the 
cake rises. A dish of hot water in the hottest corner of the oven prevents the 
cake from scorching. Open the oven as little as possible, and do not let a draft 
of cold air strike the cakes or they will fall, and do not move them till they "set" 
or brown a little on top. 

Thin cakes (flat loaves) may be turned in the oven if necessary, after baking 
10 minutes; thick loaves of rich cake should not be moved in less than 20 or 30 
minutes, and then the turning should be very gently done or they may be heavy 
in the center. The old "test" for cake was to insert a piece of clean broom-straw 
or a fine knitting-needle free from rust, and if the cake was done it would come 
out free from dough; another test is to hold the cake to the ear and listen closely; 
if done it will be silent; if there is the least noise return it at once to the oven. 
Another sign is its settling down a little and shrinking from the pan. 

Do not take cakes out of the oven too soon. Let delicate cakes cool a little in 
the pans as they are apt to fall if taken out of them hot, but do not let cakes stay 
in the pans till moist. Let the air circulate around cakes freely to cool them, 
and have them thoroughly Cold before putting them away. Keep them in a tin 
box or stone jar tightly closed. Any cake made with yeast is best eaten quite 
fresh. Cakes which are to be long kept, like wedding, black and fruit cakes, can 
be wrappnd in waxed paper to advantage. Any cake can have powdered sugar 
dusted on it while warm; if it melts, more can be added after it cools. 
Use a warm knife if you cut cake while it is warm. 

Gingerbread. — Mix soft gingerbreads as soft as they can be handled, and 
keep the molding-board well floured to prevent the dough from sticking. Use 
New Orleans molasses as we explained for other cake. Watch the oven closely, 
as molasses cakes burn more easily than others. If before rolling out the dough 
it getS'too stiff, set it before the fire. Lemon or orange flavor can be added when 
desired, and many think it an improvement, and the same with raisins, fruit, etc. 
Ginger can be replaced by other spices like cinnamon and nutmeg by those who 
prefer their flayor to ginger. Yolks of eggs improve gingerbread even when not 
prescribed in the recipe; and yolks left from other cooking can be worked into gin- 
gerbread to advantage; 2 yolks equal 1 egg, and can be so used for this purpose. 



CAKES. 239 

EXTRACTS AND FLAVORINGS. 

These are often adulterated. Many of them can be easily and successfully 
made at home, and much cheaper than to buy them, while their purity will then 
be assured. In making extracts use deodorized alcohol always. If the oils used 
are not pure and fresh they will spoil the extract by giving it a turpentine taste. 
If a little extract is dropped on anything after it is baked; less will be needed, 
because heat partially destroys the flavor. It is therefore better not to add 
extracts to anything while hot. 

Essence of Allspice. — Add to a wine-glass of strong spirits, 1 drachm of the 
oil of allspice. This is used, 2 or 3 drops at a time, for puddings, soups, etc. 

Almond. — Crush 1 cup of the kernels of peach stone, and soak them in 2 cups 
alcohol. In using, allow 1 teaspoon of the extract for 1 quart of cake dough or 
custard. The flavor is very much like almonds. 

Bedford Flavoring. — Put into a bottle 3 drops of peppermint, the same of oil 
of rose, and % CU P deodorized alcohol; shake well, and keep corked. 

Essence of Celery. — Soak for 12 or 14 days % oz - °f celery seeds in 34 pint of 
brandy. A few drops will flavor a pint of soup equal to a head of celery. 

Cherry and Plum. — The kernels of cherry and plum stones, steeped in brandy, 
make a nice flavoring liquid for tarts, etc. 

Citronelle. — Take the grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon peel, rub them to a 
pulp, and add 34 °f a nutmeg grated; add 1 cup water and 6 whole cloves, and 
gently boil 2 or 3 minutes,- then strain, and add 1 cup sugar, and boil to a thin 
syrup; keep it in a bottle. 

Coffee. — Infuse 34 ft>- °f the best ground and roasted coffee, in 1 pint alcohol. 

Curacoa. — This is nothing but a tincture of the Curacoa orange peel, sweet- 
ened and flavored with essential oils. Orange juice can be used in its place for 
flavorings, or orange essence, tinctured with cinnamon, mace or cloves. 

Laurel Flavoring. — Take an earthen bowl, and break into it 7 or 8 bay leaves, 
and add 4 cloves and % of a nutmeg grated; then add % cup of water and steep 
for a few minutes on the stove in a basin of hot water, and covered with a saucer; 
now strain, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and when cold add % CU P deodorized 
alcohol. Keep bottled for use. 

Lemon. — Put lemon peel cut into small pieces into a bottle, add alcohol 
enough to cover it, cork, and set it in a warm place 5 or 6 days, until the alcohol 
extracts the essential oil from the rind. It can be strengthened by adding oil of 
lemon, (about % oz. to an 8 oz. bottle) or weakened by adding more alcohol. It 
is easily made, cheap and good. 

Orange extract is made in the same way as the lemon. 

Maraschino.— This when genuine is made from the kernel of the Marasca 
cherry, which is grown only in Dalmatia. It is often made from the oil of bitter 
almonds, blended with oils of cinnamon, rosewater, etc. A similar flavor can be 
made as follows: Infuse % lb. of kernels of cherries (bruised), in 1 quart of 
alcohol for 6 days; add 1 drachm of oil of maraschino, and 1 lb. of white sugar, 
made into a syrup by boiling it in % quart of water down to a pint; strain 
through a fine sieve, and bottle for use. Make ~% or /4 * ne quantity if desired. 

Noyau.— This is made from white brandy and bruised bitter almonds. It 
contains a large proportion of prussic acid derived from the bitter almonds. The 
best comes from Martinique, but it is expensive and often imitated. Infuse some 
fresh youngpeach leaves in whisky.for a couple of days; then strain the infusion 
and mix with clarified syrup when cold. With age it will nearly equal the 
genuine. Another recipe for making it is to blanch and pound 2 oz. bitter and 1 
oz. sweet almonds, and also add and pound 1 lb. white sugar; boil lcup new milk, 
and when cold mix that in, together with the rinds of 3 lemons, 1 quart of whisky, 
and 1 tablespoon of clarified honey; let stand 10 days, shaking every day; then 
filter through filtering paper and put in small bottles for use, sealing the corks. 

Ratafias. — This is the name given to spirituous liquors flavored with the 
kernels of various fruits, such as peaches, cherries, apricots, etc., used as flavor- 
ing for sweet dishes. Although delicious when used sparingly, they are un- 
pleasant or even poisonous if used to excess. Peach or apricot leaves infused in 
alcohol can be used instead of ratafia for flavoring puddings. The ratafia cakes 
are flavored with almonds. 

Cherry Ratafia. — Take 1 lb. Morella cherries with the kernels bruised, 1 
pint proof spirits, 345)* sugar; let it soak 2 weeks, and strain through flannel 



240 CAKES. 

Currant Ratafia. — Take 3^ cup black currant juice, 2 grains cinnamon, 2 
grains cloves, 2 grains peach kernels, 1 pint brandy, G oz. white sugar; let stand 2 
weeks, and strain through flannel. 

Rose Extract. — Let rose leaves soak in alcohol till the essential oil is extracted 
(about a week); then strain, and add about % drachm of otto of roses to 1 pint of 
the extract. 

Tea Flavoring. — Take about 4 teaspoons of the best black tea, crush it and 
put it into a bowl (it is a good plan to mix 2 or 3 different kinds); pour on about 
% cup of freshly boiled water, and boiling hot; cover it with a saucer, and let it 
steep 10 or 12 minutes; then strain through cloth and use. 

Vanilla.— Cut up 5 or 6 vanilla beans, pods and all, put them in a pint bottle, 
fill with alcohol, and in a few days the alcohol will extract the essential oil. 
Equal parts of vanilla and tonka beans can be used, and a very good flavoring 
extract produced. The tonka beans should be soaked in warm water till the skin 
can be rubbed off, and then both should be cut in small pieces. (For information 
about vanilla beans see "Marketing.") 

Vanilla sugar is prepared by cutting up the pods, putting them in a mortar 
with 10 or 12 times as much sugar, and pounding fine; then pass it through a fine 
sieve, pound again if necessary, and keep in a bottle tightly corked. Or the 
beans can be cut up, put in a jar, covered with the sugar, and covered tightly. 
Use the sugar as needed, adding more as long as the beans flavor it. 

Syrup of vanilla is simple syrup flavored with essence of vanilla. 

Rose water can be prepared by putting a large pinch of carbonate of mag- 
nesia, and 4 drops of kissaulik otto of rose into 2 pints of pure water; then filter 
through fine muslin or filter paper. If the otto is good it will make a fine rose 
water, and will keep indefinitely. 

Orange flower water can be prepared the same way, using 4 drops of oil of 
neroli Bigarade, instead of the otto of rose. 

To Grate Lemon Peel. — Lemon peel gives a different flavor from any extract. 
There is a right and wrong way to grate it. The flavor comes from an essential 
oil found only in the yellow rind at the surface. The white part underneath is 
bitter, contains no lemon flavor, will curdle milk or cream, and is objectionable. 
Therefore grate a lemon carefully, aiming to remove all the yellow surface, but 
no more. Begin at the end, turn the lemon round as it is grated, and work 
evenly, and it can be easily and smoothly done. This gives the zest as it is called. 

Orange peel can be grated the same way. Either can be used for sherbets, 
cakes, puddings, etc. They can be kept on hand for use by mixing them with 
powdered sugar, (use 4 parts sugar to 1 part grated peel) and keep in tightly 
corked bottles. 

COOKING IN HIGH ALTITUDES. 

In all high altitudes the rule is to use less butter and sugar, and more flour and 
eggs. If too much butter is used in such regions the cake will fall, . so that very 
rich cakes cannot be made there. The greater the elevation the more difficulty is 
experienced. Cakes having no butter, like sponge cake, are easily made in high 
altitudes. (See also our "Denver Cake.") The filling for layer cakes can be made 
quite rich in such regions, if desired. 

The reason for the foregoing rule appears to be this: The object in beating eggs is to fill 
them with air, which the tenacious albumen of the egg holds, and carries into the cake, 
but in high altitudes the air thus incorporated is much lighter than at sea level, and the 
cake will fall unless it is "held up," so to speak, by a stiff batter; hence theruleisto"Double 
the flour, or divide the egg, and use less butter." It is found in these regions that powdered 
sugar works better than granulated. This rare atmosphere is very dry, and quickly dries 
cake and bread. These should be kept in a close box, in which vessels of water are placed 
to keep the air moist. Owing to this dryness of the air, however, meats will keep much 
longer than in damper climates. The effect of light air on boiling water we spoke of in ex- 
plaining about boiling meat. It is difficult to cook anything by boiling at all, above what 
is known as the "timber line." Eggs must be boiled 10 minutes to even be "soft" on Pike's 
Peak. 

LAYER CAKES. 

Let layer cakes cool on some flat surface, like an inverted jelly-tin, rather than 
on an uneven surface like a plate. An inverted jelly-tin also makes a good base 
on which to build up a jelly cake, and it should be left there till cold. Those with 



CAKES. 241 

a little experience can vary the fillings for jelly cakes, and make many attractive 
combinations, but the novice will best adhere to her recipes closely. 

FILLINGS. 

Apple Filling.— Cook 2 large apples until soft; then add lcup sugar, the well- 
beaten yolk of 1 egg, and the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon; cook all about 5 
minutes, and spread between the layers while warm. 

Banana Filling. —Mash 6 bananas, add the juice of 1 lemon, and 3 tablespoons 
of sugar — more if liked. 

Caramel Filling. — Take % cup sweet milk, 1% cups light brown sugar, butter 
the size of an egg. Stir frequently and cook until it strings. When cool, add va- 
nilla or other flavoring. 

Chocolate Filling. — Take 1 teaspoon of butter, 1% cups of powdered or con- 
fectioner's sugar, put in a pail and set pail in a kettle of boiling water; put a few 
drops of water on the sugar so it will melt. Beat whites of 2 eggs to a stiff froth and 
add to the boiling sugar, and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add about 3 table- 
spoons of grated sweet chocolate, and vanilla to taste. When nearly cool, spread 
between layers, and on the top and sides. 

Cream Filling. — One pint of sweet milk; 1 small cup of sugar; put it over the 
fire, in a double boiler, or pail set in a kettle of boiling water; just before it boils 
add 2 well-beaten eggs, a pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoons of corn-starch dissolved 
in a little cold milk; stir until it thickens. When cool, flavor with vanilla or 
lemon. 

Whipped Cream Filling. — Whip 1 cup sweet cream to a stiff froth; sweeten 
and flavor to taste, and spread on. The cream will froth easier if put on ice % 
hour before whipping. 

Cream Chocolate Filling. — Take 1% cups of. confectioner's sugar and just 
enough sweet cream to moisten; mix well, set the vessel containing it in a kettle 
of hot water and let it come to the boiling point; then add the whites of 2 eggs 
beaten to a stiff froth, also enough grated chocolate to give a light or dark color, 
as desired. Beat until cool and stiff; then add a teaspoon of vanilla, spread be- 
tween and on the top of layer cakes. 

Custard Filling.— Use 2 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 small cup corn -starch, 
a small piece of butter; boil it and have it slightly cool before using it. 

Fig Filling. — Use 3 scant cups pulverized sugar, % cup water, whites of 3 eggs 
well beaten, 1 lb. sliced figs, juice of % lemon, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Boil the sugar 
in the %, CU P °f water until it will hair 6 inches from the spoon from which it 
drops; turn this over the beaten egg whites, and beat until it looks as if it would 
harden; then turn % of it over the figs, to which the lemon juice has been added; 
put this fig filling between the layers and frost the cake with the reserved frost- 
ing, after flavoring it with the vanilla. Can be used in any good layer cake. 

Hickory-nut Filling. — Use 1 cup milk, % cup sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons corn- 
starch. Let the milk come to the boiling point, and add the sugar; then mix the 
corn-starch in a little water, add to the egg, and stir it into the boiling milk; 
cook till done and stir in 1 cup hickory-nuts chopped fine, and flavor to taste. 

Icing Filling. — Put a little water on 2 cups of granulated sugar — just enough 
to dissolve it; let it boil until it threads from a spoon; pour it slowly on the well- 
beaten whites of 2 eggs, beating all the time until thick enough to spread on the 
cake; add a teaspoon of vanilla, or flavor with orange juice and grated rind, and 
spread on thick as filling for a layer cake. 

Lemon Filling.— Use 1 lemon (juice and grated rind), 1 egg, % cup sugar, 1 
16 



242 CAKES. 

tablespoon of water, butter size of walnut. Beat all together, set on stove and let 
boil up a minute. 

Lemon Honey Filling.— Use 1 Tb. loaf sugar, 2 whole eggs, yolks of 8 eggs, J^ lb. 
butter, juice of 6 lemons, grated rind of 2 lemons. Put the sugar, lemon and but- 
ter into a sauce-pan, and melt over a gentle fire; when all is dissolved stir in the 
eggs which have been well beaten; stir rapidly until it is as thick as honey. 
Spread this between the layers of cake. Set aside the remainder in a closely 
covered vessel for future use. 

Maple Filling. — Take 1 cup maple sugar, 1 cup white sugar and J£ cup of 
water; boil until it will form in stiff drops when dropped into cold water; cool 
until slightly warm, and add whites of 2 eggs, beaten stiff; put between the 
layers of a cake. 

Orange Filling. — Use the whites of 2 eggs beaten stiff, grated rind and juice 
of 1 orange made thick with pulverized sugar; beat together, and spread between 
layers of cake. 

Orange Filling No. 2. — One cup sugar wet with 3 tablespoons of orange juice 
(enough drops from the oranges as you slice them, if not, use water); 1 tablespoon 
of butter. Simmer this on the stove until a nice syrup, and when boiling add 
2 beaten eggs; remove from stove and stir briskly. When cold add orange or 
lemon flavor and the sliced fruit, and spread between the layers. 

Peach or Fruit Cream Filling.— Cut peaches into thin slices, or chop them, and 
prepare cream by whipping and sweetening. Put a layer of peaches between the 
layers of cake, and pour the cream over each layer and over the top. Bananas, 
strawberries and other fruit may be used the same way, mashing the strawber- 
ries when used, and strewing them thick with powdered sugar. 

Dried Fruit Filling. — To 4 cups of the best evaporated apples take 3 cups of 
nice dried raspberries and let them cook slowly for 3 or 4 hours; then work 
through the colander and add 2 cups of sugar (or more, if preferred) and flavor 
with vanilla. This is nice for layer cake, short cake, and with meats. 

ALMOND CAKE. 

2 cups sugar. 1 cup of butter. 1 cup sweet milk. 

4 cups flour. 3 eggs. 3 teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake in layers as for jelly cake. Instead of jelly use for filling 1 coffee-cup of 
thick sour jam, 1 teaspoon extract of vanilla, 1 lb. of almonds, blanched and 
chopped fine; sugar to taste or make sweet. 

APPLE JELLY CAKE. 

1 egg. 1 cup sugar. 1 cup sweet milk, butter the 

2 cups flour. 3 teaspoons baking powder. size of an egg. 

Bake in layers, and use the apple filling given among the previous fillings. 

AGNES' LAYER CAKE. 

M cup butter. Not quite 1 cup of white sugar. Whites of 3 eggs. 

Vz cup sweet milk. X A teaspoon of soda. 1 teaspoon cream tartar. 

CHOCOLATE CAKE. 

WHITE PART. 

2 eggs. % cup melted butter, 1 cup powdered sugar. 

% cup milk. 2 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

1 teaspoon vanilla. 

DARK PART. 

y 2 cake Baker's chocolate (grated). V 2 cup milk. M cup sugar. 

Put on the stove and boil. Add yolk of 1 egg and mix with the white parts, 
Bake in 3 layers and put together with soft icing. 



CAKES. 243 

CHOCOLATE CAKE NO. 3. 

2 cups powdered sugar. 4 eggs. K cup butter. 

54 cup sweet milk. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 2 cups flour (well filled). 

Divide into 3 parts and bake 2 layers as mixed. Into the third part mix % 
cup grated chocolate; beat the white of 1 egg; boil 1 cup sugar and 3 spoonfuls 
of water until it ropes; beat all this white into the cake, and add a cup of grated 
chocolate (or less, if liked). Ice each layer, putting the dark layer in the center. 
Splendid. 

CHOCOLATE CAKE NO. 3. 

1 cup sugar. 54 cup sweet milk. 2 eggs. 

Y% cup butter. 2 cups flour. V-A teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake in layers. 

Chocolate Cream for Filling. -Take % cup milk, yolk of 1 egg, % cup choco- 
late, 1 teaspoon vanilla, sweeten to taste. Boil until thick as jelly. Spread be- 
tween layers when cold. 

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE. 

2 cups pulverized sugar. X A cup of chocolate stirred 2 teaspoons baking powder. 
1 cup melted butter. with butter and sugar. 

4 eggs. 3 cups flour. 

Flavor with vanilla and lemon together. Bake in 4 layers. 

Filling. — Four cups pulverized sugar — boil till brittle; 4 whites of eggs beaten to 
a stiff froth. Add the sugar to the whites and beat all until cold; add 1 teaspoon 
tartaric acid. Flavor with vanilla and lemon. Spread between the layers % 
inch thick, and put enough chocolate in the frosting used for the top to color it. 

COCOANUT CAKE. 

1 cup butter. 1 cup sweet milk. Whites of 10 eggs. 

2 cups sugar beaten to a cream. 3 L A cups flour. 2 l A teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake in layers. 

Filling.— The whites of 2 eggs beaten stiff, and sugar enough added to keep it 
from running. Spread it on the layers, and sprinkle cocoanut between, and on 
top of the cake. 

COCOANUT CAKE NO. 3. 

Whites of 6 eggs. Vz cup of water. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. 

V-A cups of sugar. Vz cup of corn-starch. r A teaspoon of soda. 

V A cup of butter. VA cups of flour. 

Bake in layer tins. Then take the whites of 3 eggs and beat to a froth with 

6 tablespoons of sugar, and a cup of grated cocoanut. Use it for frosting also. 

CKEAM CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. VA cups flour. 2 small teaspoons baking powder. 

3 eggs. 3 tablespoons of water. 

Bake in 4 jelly tins, and when done spread the layers with the cream filling 
given among our fillings. Do not spread on the filling till the cake is cold. If 
preferred it can be baked in 2 ordinary pie-tins, and split open while it is 
warm. 

BEATEN CREAM CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. % cup milk. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

M cup butter. 3 -whites of eggs. 2 l A cups flour. 

Bake in 3 layers, and put together with thick sweet cream beaten with a little 
pulverized sugar. 

CHEAP CREAM CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 2 cups flour. 1 tablespoon butter. 

1 cup sweet milk. 1 egg. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Flavor to suit the taste, and bake in layers. 

Filling. — One egg; % cup sugar; % cup of flour, mixed with a little cold milk. 



244 CAKES. 

and stirred into 1 cup of boiling milk; boil until thick, and flavor to taste. Sprinkle 
the top of the cake well with sugar. 

SOUK CREAM CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 1 scant teaspoon soda. A little salt. 

2 cups flour. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. 

Break 2 eggs in a teacup, fill it with sour cream, and then stir all the above 
ingredients well together and bake in 3 layers. 

Filling. — Use 1 cup thick sour cream, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup prepared cocoanut. 
Mix well and spread on each layer and on top. If desired, sprinkle dry cocoanut 
on with it, as it looks nicer on top. 

CREAM PUFFS. 

3 cups flour. 2 cups boiling -water. A pinch of salt. 
1 cup butter. 5 eggs. 

Mix the flour, butter and salt, pour in the boiling water, beat lightly, and put 
on the stove in a rice boiler; cook until it becomes thick, stirring constantly. 
Then take it from the stove, let it cool, and then break in the eggs, 1 at a time. 
Drop on a buttered dripping-pan or gem irons, and bake. Have the puffs baked 
just before serving time, and use the custard filling given among our fillings, hav- 
ing it slightly cool before putting it in the puffs. 

CUSTARD CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 2 tablespoons cold water, Wz cups flour. 

3 eggs, beaten separate, added to the beaten -whites. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Flavor to taste. 

Stir and beat till smooth. Bake in 2 tins in a hot oven, split when hot, and 

spread with custard. Excellent and not expensive. 

DENVER CAKE. 

Vz cup butter. 3 cups sifted flour. 1 cup sweet milk. 

Wz cups sugar. 6 eggs. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

First beat the butter and sugar, and then add the yolks, then the milk; next 

the flour with the baking powder sifted into it, and the whites beaten to a stiff 

froth last. This cake must be well beaten. It will make 5 layers. This cake can 

be made in the mountains. Use any filling desired. 

ECONOMICAL, LAYER CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 1 tablespoon corn-starch, made smooth in 1 cup sweet milk. 

M cup of butter. 2 cups flour. 3 teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake in thin sheets. Use cream, cocoanut, jelly or any filling desired. 

FIG EATER CAKE. 

1 large cup sugar. 2 cups flour (sifted). 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 

Vz cup milk. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Vz cup butter. 4 large or 5 small eggs. 

Bake in 4 layers. When cold spread on the following filling. 
Fig Filling. — Use % pound chopped figs, % cup of hot water, 1 small cup pow- 
dered sugar; cook till soft. 

IROQUOIS CAKE. 

1 cup powdered sugar. VA cups flour. Lemon flavoring. 

M cup butter. 2 teaspoons baking powder (scant). 

Vz cup milk. "Whites of 3 eggs. 

Cream the butter and sugar, add the other ingredients, and bake in 2 tins. 
Fill with our icing filling. 

JEIXY CAKE. 

3 eggs. Vz cup butter 2 cups flour. 

1 cup sugar. Vz cup of milk. 2 teaspoons of baking powder. 

Icing. — Whites of 2 eggs, add sugar until thick, % cup flour, % teaspoon of tar- 
taric acid, flavor with lemon. 



CAKES. 245 

JELLY CAKE NO. 2. 

1 cup of sugar. 1 cup of flour. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. 

3 eggs. 1 tablespoon of butter. X A teaspoon of soda in Vz cup of milk. 

Bake in layers (6 layers is good) and spread jelly between each layer. 

ROCHESTER JELLY CAKE. 

LIGHT PART. 

2 cups white sugar. 1 cup sweet milk. 3 cups flour. 

1 cup butter. 6 whites of eggs. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Flavor with lemon. Bake in 3 layers. 

DARK PART. 

i cup brown sugar. 1 lb. seeded raisins. 2 cups flour. 

V« cup molasses. U lb. citron, chopped fine. A little nutmeg and lemon extract. 

l A cup butter. l A teaspoon cloves. y A teaspoon soda dissolved in V* cup coffee. 

1 egg. 1 teaspoon cinnamon. 

Bake in 2 layers. Spread jelly between the layers, using light and dark parts 

alternately. Frost the top. 

ORIENTAL CAKE. 

WHITE AND PINK LAYERS. 

1 cup fine granulated sugar. Ys cup butter. X A cup corn-starch. 

l A cup milk. VA cups flour. Whites of 3 eggs. 

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder. 

Beat butter and sugar to cream, add milk and corn-starch, first stirring them 

together, then the flour and baking powder, and last the whites of eggs beaten 

light. Divide the mixture in two, and into % put as much pink coloring as you 

like, the object being to form different colored layers. 

YELLOW AND BROWN PARTS. 

Vi cup butter. 1 cup sugar. 1 whole egg. 

Yolks of 4 eggs, beaten light. 14 cup sweet milk. \% cups flour. 

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder. 

After mixing divide into 2 parts, and to 1 part add: 1 oz. grated chocolate, 1 
tablespoon of water, 3 teaspoons of sugar and % teaspoon of vanilla, which should 
be stirred until smooth over a hot fire. Bake all the layers in jelly-pans in a mod- 
erate oven — it should bake in about 20 minutes. 

For filling use 1 cup powdered sugar, and whites of 2 eggs, beaten light. 
Use the brown cake for the bottom layer, sjpread over it a thin coating of the fill- 
ing and cover with a layer of thin slices of figs placed close together; next the 
yellow cake with icing and sliced oranges free from seeds and rind; next, whites 
with icing and cocoanut; finish with the pink layer spread with a firm, white 
icing, decorated with almonds and candies. It is best eaten fresh. Thjs makes a 
delicious cake. If desired, you can leave out all the filling except the icing. 

LAYER JELLY CAKE. 

2 cups sugar. X A cup butter. 3 eggs. 

1 cup sweet milk. 3 cups flour. 2 small teaspoons baking powder. 

Makes 8 layers. Use any jelly desired for filling. 

ROLLED JELLY CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 2 eggs. 2 tablespoons water. 

Wz cups flour. l l A teaspoons baking powder. 1 teaspoon lemon extract. 

Bake in a dripping pan in a quick oven. While warm, spread with jelly and 
roll it. 

1-8-3-CAKE. 

l A cup butter. 3 eggs. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

1 cup milk. 3 cups flour. Flavoring. 

2 cups sugar. 

Filling. — Use 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, J^ cup sugar, lump of butter the size of a 
large hickory-nut; any flavoring desired. Bring the milk to a boil; thicken the 
egg with flour and add to boiling milk. When off the fire, stir in 1 cup cocoanut. 
Also sprinkle cocoanut over the top of cake when it is done. 



246 CAKES. 

MINNEHAHA CAKE. 

"Whites of 8 eggs. 2 cups sugar. 1 cup of butter. 

1 cup of milk. 3 cups of flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 
Flavor with lemon. 

Filling. — Use x / 2 lb. blanched almonds, 1 lb. of seeded raisins, chopped fine. 

Mix with boiled frosting and flavor with lemon. Put blanched almonds in halves 

in frosting on top. 

NEAPOLITAN CAKE. 

V& cups powdered sugar. V 2 cup butter. M cup sweet milk. 

Vi cup corn-starch. V-A cups flour. "Whites of 6 eggs. 

2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Take % of the mixture and to it add as much grated chocolate as liked (2 or 3 
tablespoons) to form the middle layer; put a few raisins in the layer. Spread 
icing and cocoanut over each layer. 

NUT LAYER CAKE. 

1 cup of sugar. V£ cup butter. X A cup sweet milk. 

2 eggs. 1 teaspoon of baking powder. 

Bake in layer tins. 

Filling. — Use 1 cup of cream (sweet or sour), 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup hickory-nut 
meats. Boil together until thick. 

ORANGE CAKE. 

2 cups of sugar. 1 cup of butter. 4 eggs, all beaten together. 

1 cup milk. 1 teaspoon soda. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. 
3V 2 cups flour. 

The evening before you make the cake, mix sugar, butter and eggs together 

and let stand, especially if granulated sugar is used. Then in the morning beat 

up light and add other ingredients and bake in layers in a quick oven. Use the 

orange filling giveji among our fillings. 

PEACH CAKE. 

Bake sponge cake in 3 layers as for jelly cake; take fine ripe peaches, chop 
fine or slice thin; take cream, whip it, sweeten, and flavor with vanilla if desired; 
put a layer of peaches and cream between the layers of cake, and cover the top. 
Eat soon after preparing it. 

POLONAISE CAKE. 

2 cups pulverized sugar. 1 cup milk. 3 cups flour. 

1 cup butter (scant). Whites of 7 eggs. 1V Z teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake in 4 layers. 

Filling.— -Use 3 cups pulverized sugar boiled in a little water until brittle; 
then turn the hot sugar upon the beaten whites of 4 eggs, stirring until cold. 
On first layer, spread % K>- macaroons chopped fine and mixed with some of the 
frosting. On second layer, % lb. crystalized fruit, chopped fine, mix with some 
of the frosting and flavor with lemon. Third layer, y 2 K>- blanched almonds and 
3^ lb. citron both chopped fine and mixed with some of the frosting, flavored with 

1 teaspoon extract of almonds and 1 teaspoon of rose water. Frost the top 
with the frosting left over, mixed with a little crystalized fruit. 

RIBBON CAKE. 

2 cups sugar. 3 cups flour. Essence of lemon or almond. 
1 cup sweet milk. 3 eggs. Salt. 

% cup butter. - 1 teaspoon soda. 

Mix and divide; put one-half into pans. To the other half add 

1 tablespoon molasses. % lb. citron (sliced). Grate in a little nutmeg. 

1 large cup raisins 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 

(chopped and stoned). 1 tablespoon flour. 

Make this also into 2 layers and bake them all. While yet warm build the 
layers alternately, with cranberry or any other tart jelly between. 



CAKES. 247 

RIBBON CAKE NO. S. 

6 yolks of eggs. 1 cup sugar. 2 cups flour. 

% cup butter. X cup milk. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Mix and divide. Flavor one half with orange; for the other half use vanilla, 

and enough grated chocolate to color brown. Take enough for 1 layer out of 

each half. Then take 

Vz cup butter. M cup milk. 2 cups flour. 

lYi cups sugar. 5 whites of eggs. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Mix and divide. Flavor one half with lemon; flavor the other half with rose 
water, and with pulverized cochineal color it pink or red. Take enough for 1 
layer out of each half. Then mix all the balance of the batter together and put 
in any kind of fruit desired — seedless raisins, currants or citron. Bake in 5 lay- 
ers. Build the cake while hot, putting nothing between layers. Have the 
fruit layers alternate with the brown, white, yellow and red. Frost top or not. 

STRAWBERRY CAKE. 

Any sponge cake recipe will do. Make the sponge cake dough in very thin layers, 
and bake in biscuit pans. Beat the whites of 4 eggs, and when stiff add 4 tea- 
spoons of sugar. Have ready a dish of strawberries sweetened enough to take 
away the acid taste, and spread it between the layers. Cut in small squares and 
serve cold. 

VANITY CAKE. 

IVi cups sugar. VA cups flour. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Vz cup butter. Vz cup corn-starch. 

V/z cups sweet milk. Whites of 6 eggs. 

Bake in 2 cakes, putting frosting between and on top. Excellent. 

WHITE CAKE. 

1 cup powdered sugar. 1 cup flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

1 cup sweet milk. "Whites of 2 eggs. Flavor with almond. 

Bake in layers. Grated cocoanut mixed with sugar can be spread between 
the layers, or if desired an icing can be made of 1 cup powdered sugar, whites of 

2 eggs, and enough dissolved chocolate to give it a rich dark color. 

COCOANUT WHITE CAKE. 

3 eggs. Vz cup butter. 2 cups flour. 

Wz cups sugar. " Vz cup sweet milk. V/z teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake in jelly tins. Make a frosting of the whites of 2 eggs and % cup sugar, 
and beat into it some finely grated cocoanut. Spread it between the layers and 
on top of the cake and set aside to cool. 



LOAF CAKES. 

ALMOND CAKE. 

VA cups sugar. 2 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

% cup butter. 3 eggs. 

Vz cup milk. Vz lb. blanched almonds. 

Blanch the almonds, split them lengthwise, dry them, and mix with the cake. 

ANGEL'S FOOD. 

Take 1 tumbler of flour and put into it 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar and sift 
the whole 4 times; beat the whites of 11 eggs to a stiff froth and then beat in 1% 
tumbler's of pulverized sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, and a pinch of salt; then add 
the flour and beat thoroughly but lightly; bake in a bright ungreased pan 40 to 
45 minutes. When done, turn it over to cool, placing something under the cor- 
ner of the pan so that the air will circulate underneath and assist the cooling; 
cut it out when cool. 



248 CAKES. 

APPLE CAKE. 

Yz cup of butter. V2 cup sugar. Flour enough to 

V2 cup of lard— melt these together. 2 eggs. make rather soft. 

2Yz cups of milk. 4 teaspoons of baking powder. 

Pare and slice 7 or 8 apples and set them down into the tops of the dough, 
close together, when it is in the pan. Sprinkle % cup of sugar and some cinna- 
mon on top of all. Bake slowly and when the apples are done the cake is done. 
This makes a dripping pan full. 

APPLE CAKE NO. 3. 

1 pint preserved apples. Yz cup butter. 1 nutmeg. 

1 cup molasses. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 cup boiling water. 

1 cup brown sugar. 2 teaspoons cinnamon. 

After this is well mixed together, add 2 well-beaten eggs, and 4 cups flour. 

To preserve the apples, take 1 quart of chopped apples and stew slowly in 1% 

cups of molasses 4 or 5 hours, or until reduced to 1 pint. Bake in a moderate 

oven. Will keep several weeks. 

DRIED APPLE CAKE. 

1 egg. l A cup sugar. V z cup butter. Yt cup milk. 
2Yz cups flour. 1 teaspoon soda. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. Spice to taste. 

Soak 1 cup of dried apples over night. In the morning boil them 1 hour in J^ 

cup molasses and % cup sugar. When cold, add to the above ingredients. Cheap 

and good. 

BANGOR CAKE. 

3 cups flour. Yz. cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 

3 eggs. % cup of milk. VA teaspoons baking powder. 

Flavor with Y2 teaspoon each of vanilla and lemon. 

BLACK CAKE. 

2 cups brown sugar. \Y% cups butter. 6 eggs (beaten separately). 

3 cups browned flour. 2 tablespoons molasses. 1 tablespoon cinnamon. 

1 teaspoon mace or nutmeg. 1 teaspoon cloves. 2 cups sweet milk. 

2 lbs. raisins. 2 lbs. currants. Vz lb. citron. 

1 teaspoon soda. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. Bake 3 hours. 

BREAD CAKE. 

2 cups dough. 2 cups sugar. V% cup butter added to Vs. cup lard. 

1 teaspoon soda. IY2 cups raisins. 2 eggs well beaten. Nutmeg and cinnamon. 

Work the cake thoroughly. 

BUTTERMILK CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 1 teaspoon butter. 1 egg. 1 teaspoon soda. 

2 cups flour. 1 cup buttermilk. Spice to taste. Cheap and good. 

CAMERON CAKE (Without Eggs). 
1 cup sour milk. Y 2 cup butter. IY2 cups sugar. 

3 cups sifted flour. 2 cups chopped raisins. Y2 teaspoon soda. 
Nutmeg and cinnamon to taste. 

CANADA CAKE (Without Eggs). 
1 cup sugar. 1 cup sour milk. Y2 cup butter. 

1 teaspoon soda in the sour milk. 1 cup raisins. 2Y2 cups flour. 

CARSON CAKE (Without Eggs). 

2 cups sugar. 4 cups flour. 1 cup buttermilk. Y2 cup butter. 

2 cups raisins. . 1 teaspoon soda in milk. Spice to taste. 

CHOCOLATE CAKE. 

1 cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 1 cup milk. 

3 Ms cups flour. 5 eggs (leaving out the whites of 2). 14 teaspoon vanilla. 
2Yz teaspoons baking powder. 

For frosting beat the whites of the 2 eggs with sugar enough to keep it from 

running, and add % cake of sweet chocolate; flavor with vanilla. Apply the 

frosting while the cake is hot. 

CLOVE CAKE. 

2 cups brown sugar. 1 cup shortening. 1 cup sour milk. 
1 cup raisins. 1 egg. 3 cups flour. 

V2 teaspoon cloves. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. 

Yz nutmeg. Add salt. 



CAKfiS. 



m 



CIDER CAKE. 



Vz cup butter. 
4 cups flour. 



3 cups brown sugar. 
1 cup butter. 



1 cup sugar. 

1 teaspoon soda. 



1 egg. 

1 cup cider. 



1 cup raisins. 



CITRON CAKE. 

&Vz cups flour. 7 eggs. 2 cups citron (cut fine). 

l l A cups sweet milk. ' 2V 2 teaspoons baking powder. 



COFFEE CAKE. 

1 cup molasses. 
3 eggs, well beaten. 
5 cups flour. 

COLD WATER CAKE. 

Butter size of egg. 
1 pint flour. 



2 teaspoons baking powder. 
1 cup raisins (chopped). 
Spices to suit taste. 



1 cup brown sugar. 

1 cup butter. 

1 cup strong coffee (cold). 

1 cup sugar. 

1 cup cold water. 

legg. 

Vz cup of butter. 
Whites of 4 eggs. 

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then the whites of egg to a stiff froth 

and mix; beat together and add the corn-starch, a tablespoon at a time, beating 

constantly. Bake in a tin, lined with buttered paper. It requires a moderate 

oven, and about an hour's time for baking i 

CORN-STARCH CAKE NO. 3. 



CORN-STARCH CAKE. 

1 cup of sugar. 



Vz teaspoon soda. 

1 teaspoon cream of tartar. 



2 cups of corn-starch. 



2 cups sugar. 
1 cup butter. 
1 cup sweet milk. 



4 eggs. 

2 cups flour. 

1 cup corn-starch. 



1 teaspoon soda. 

2 teaspoons cream of tartar. 



Sift soda, cream tartar, corn-starch and flour all together. Then stir it in the 
other ingredients and flavor with vanilla or lemon. 

CREAM CAKE. 



2 eggs. 

1 cup sugar. 



1 cup thick sour cream. 
2 L A cups flour. 



1 teaspoon saleratus (put 
into the cream). 



2 cups flour. 

1 teaspoon cream tartar. Vz teaspoon soda. 



DELICATE CAKE. 

Vz cup butter. _ ii_cup sweet milk. Wz cups sugar. 



Whites of 4 eggs. 

DATE CAKE. 

1 cup sugar, rounding full. 

1 teaspoon soda. 

1 heaping cup prepared dates. 



Flavor to taste. 



2 eggs, well beaten. 

2 teaspoons cream tartar. 

Vz teaspoon lemon extract. 



Vz cup butter. 

1 cup sweet milk. 

2 Mi cups flour. 
A dash of nutmeg. 

Prepare the dates as directed in the introduction to this chapter, and stir 

them in the last thing. Bake in a shallow pan; cut in squares. 

DOUGH CAKE. 

1 cup raised bread dough. 

1 cup of sugar. 

1 cup chopped raisins (seeded). 



2 eggs. 

1 teaspoon cinnamon and a 
little nutmeg. 



Vz cup butter. 
Vz teaspoon soda. 



Mix the dough and butter thoroughly with the hand, then the sugar, then the 
eggs. Do not let it stand to rise, but put it in a bread-pan as soon as mixed and 
bake for an hour, in a moderate oven. 

DOUGH CAKE (Economical). 
2 lbs. raised dough. 2 cups sugar. Vz cup butter. 

1 teaspoon saleratus. y 2 a nutmeg (grated). 1 lb. raisins (seeded). 

Mix well, put in greased pans, let rise about % hour, and bake in a moderate 
oven. 

FOUNTAIN CAKE. 

2 cups sugar. 1 heaping cup butter. 1 cup milk. 

Yolks of 6 eggs. 2 cups flour. 1 teaspoon cream tartar. 

Vz teaspoon soda. Vanilla, almond, or any other flavor. 

Mix the above and stir in quickly the well-beaten whites of i of the eggs, re- 
serving the whites of 2 of the eggs for the frosting. Bake in loaves, and as soon as 
done, cover with frosting. 



250 CAKES. 

FEATHER CAKE. 

2 cups sugar. 154 cups butter. % cup milk. 

3 cups flour. 3 eggs. 3 teaspoons baking powder. 
Flavor -with lemon. 

This also makes a nice layer cake with jelly or chocolate between. 

FREEMAN CAKE. 

1 cup sugar. 154 cups flour. 1 cup currants. M cup butter. 

54 cup milk. 1 full teaspoon baking A few slices citron. Cloves and nutmeg, 

powder. 

Bake in sheets; ice and cut in squares. 

FRENCH LOAF CAKE. 

5'cupssugar. 3 cups butter. 2 cups sweet milk. 6 eggs. 

10 cups flour. % cup of molasses. 3 nutmegs. 1 lb. raisins. 

1 lb. currants. M lb. citron. 254 teaspoons baking powder. 

FRUIT CAKE. 

54 cup butter. 54 cup brown sugar. 54 cup molasses. 1 egg. 

1% cups flour. 54 cup sweet milk. 54 teaspoon soda. 1 cup chopped raisins. 

Cinnamon, citron, and cloves. 

Flour the raisins before adding. 

FRUIT CAKE No. 3. 

4 eggs, well beaten. 54 cup butter. 1 cup sugar. 54 cup molasses. 
M cup water. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 cup raisins (seeded). 1 cup currants. 

Flour to make about as thick as common stirred cake (not too thick). It 
makes a large cake, and is economical and good. 

FRUIT CAKE (Economical). 
254 cups sugar. Y2 cup butter. 6 cups flour (about that). 

54 cup sour milk. 1 teaspoon soda. 54 teaspoon each of ground cloves, cin- 

1 cup raisins, currants, and citron, mixed. namon and nutmeg. 

Knead all together, roll about 2 inches thick, and bake in a quick oven. 

FRUIT CAKE (Rich). 

1 lb. flour. 1 lb. sugar. % lb. butter. 2 lbs. seeded raisins. 

2 lbs. currants. 1 lb. citron. M lb. almonds. 54 oz. mace. 

1 teaspoon rose-water. Juice of 2 lemons. 10 eggs. 

Stir the sugar and butter to a cream, then add the whites and yolks of the 
eggs, beaten separately. Stir in the flavoring, then the lemon-juice and spice. 
Add the flour, then fruit just before it is put in the pans. Allow 2 hours to bake 
if in 1 loaf. 

STEAMED FRUIT CAKE. 

2 cups brown sugar (heaped). 54 cup butter (full). 4 cups flour. 

2 eggs. 1 teacup milk. % cup molasses. 

3 lbs. raisins. 1 lb. citron. 1 nutmeg, grated. 
54 tablespoon each cinnamon and cloves. 

Put in a pan and steam 3 hours; then place in the oven 1 hour to dry. 

WHITE FRUIT CAKE. 

2 cups white sugar. 1 cup butter. 1 cup sweet milk. 

Whites of 5 eggs. 3 54 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

1 lb. almonds, blanched and cut 1 lb. citron cut in thin 1 grated cocoanut. 
fine. slices. 

Flour the fruit and add it the last thing. 

GOLD CAKE. 

Yolks of 4 egga. 54 cup butter (scant). 1 cup sugar. 54 cup sweet milk. 

2 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. Flavor with lemon. 

GRAHAM CAKE. 

54 cup butter. 1 cup sugar. 1 cup sour milk. 354 cups graham flour. 

1 teaspoon soda- 54 nutmeg, grated. 54 cup raisins (seeded). 

OLD HARTFORD ELECTION CAKE. 

5 lbs. dried and sifted flour. 2 lbs. butter. 2 lbs. sugar. A gill of lemon-Juice* 

3 gills of distillery yeast or twice 4 eggs. 54 oz. nutmeg. 1 quart milk, 
that quantity of home-brewed. 2 lbs. seeded raisins. 

Rub the butter very fine into the flour, add % the sugar, then the yeast, then 



CAKES. 251 

% the milk — hot in winter or blood-warm in summer — then the eggs, well beaten, 
the lemon-juice, and the remainder of the milk. Beat it well and let it stand to 
rise all night. Beat it well in the morning, adding the sugar, raisins and spices. 
Let it rise 3 or 4 hours, put in pans and bake. 

HASTY CAKE. 

1 tablespoon butter. 1 cup powdered sugar. % cup milk. 

1 egg. ' 2 cups flour. 3 small teaspoons baking powder. 

Bake immediately in a quick oven. It may be baked in patty tins or in a loaf. 
It is very nice while fresh. 

HICKORY-NUT CAKE. 

2 eggs. Ms cup sweet milk. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 

Mi cup butter. lMt cups flour. 1 cup hickory-nut meats (chopped). 

Beat the eggs, sugar and butter together, add the milk, then the flour (with 
baking powder sifted in) and last the hickory-nut meats. Frost it when baked, 
mark in squares, and put a nut meat in each square. 

IMPERIAL, CAKE. 

1 cup butter (heaped). M the grated rind of 1 lemon. % teaspoon soda. 

1 cup sugar (heaped). 5 eggs, beaten separately. Ms lb. raisins. 

2 teaspoons lemon juice. 2 cups hour (level). V% cup walnuts (chopped). 

Bake in a moderate oven 1}^ hours. Flour the fruit with a scant tablespoon 
of flour extra. 

LADY'S CAKE. 

4 cups sugar. "Whites of 16 eggs. 2 teaspoons almond extract. 

1 cup butter (scant). 3 cups sifted flour. 

LEMON CAKE 

1 cup butter. 4M; to 5 caps flour. Rind and juice of 2 lemons. 
6 eggs. 1 cup sweet milk. 1 teaspoon soda. 

3 cups sugar. 

One half of this makes 1 good loaf. 

ICE CREAM CAKE. 

"Whites of 8 eggs. 1 cup of corn-starch. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

2 cups of sugar. 1 cup of butter. 1 cup of milk. 
2 cups of sifted flour. 

MARBLE CAKE. 

LIGHT PART. 

IY2 cups white sugar. Mi cup sour milk. 2 cups flour. 

Ms cup butter. "Whites of 4 eggs. M teaspoon soda. 

DARK PART. 

1 cup brown sugar. 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon and cloves. 2 cups flour. 

Mi cup molasses. M; teaspoon allspice. Mi teaspoon soda. 

% cup butter. Yolks of 5 eggs, 1 teaspoon nutmeg. 
Mi cup sour milk. 

Put alternate spoonfuls of each part into a buttered cake tin and bake. 

CHOCOLATE MARBLE CAKE. 

1 cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 1 cup corn-starch. 4 eggs, beaten separate. 

1 cup sweet milk. 2 cups flour. 1 teaspoon soda. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. 

Flavor with vanilla. 

After mixing all, take out 1 cupful of the batter and stir into it a heaping 

tablespoon of grated chocolate; drop this in the greased pan alternately with the 

other part. 

MOLASSES CAHE (Without Eggs). 
1 cup butter, lard or dripping. 1 cup sugar- 1 cup hot water. 

1 cup molasses. 5 cups flour. 1 cup Z.ante currants. 

1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and allspice. 

Put in 2 bread-pans, with buttered paper, and bake an hour in a slow oven. 
Cheap and good, 

ONE-EGG CAKE. 

1 cup butter- lMs cups sugar. 3 cups flour. 

1 cup sweet milk. 1 egg. i teaspoon baking powder. 

1 cup chopped raisins. 



252 



CAKES. 



MOUNTAIN CAKE. 

V/z cups sugar. 3 eggs. 

Vz cup milk. 2 large cups flour. 

Flavor to taste. 

Add a little more flour if fruit is added. 



X cup butter. 
2 teaspoons baking 
powder. 



NEWPORT CAKE. 

V/z cups sweet milk. 2 tablespoons sugar. 

3 cups flour. 2 rounding teaspoons baking powder. 

Stir all together and bake in a quick oven; cut warm, and eat like biscuit. 



2 eggs. 

y 3 cup melted butter 



2 cups sugar. 
2 cups flour. 
Vz cup water. 



ORANGE CAKE. 

Yolks of 5 eggs. 

Whites of 4 eggs. 

1 orange, juice and grated rind. 

PLUM CAKE. 

2 cups sugar (neaped). 



Vz teaspoon soda. 
1 teaspoon cream of tartar. 



3 large cups butter. 2 cups sugar (neaped). 12 eggs,beaten separate. 

4 cups sifted flour. 3 lbs. raisins, stoned and Wz lbs. currants. 
1 lb. citron, cut in thin small i slices, halved. Vz lb- dates. 

1 teaspoon each cinnamon and all- Vz teaspoon each mace Vz nutmeg, 
spice. and cloves. 3 tablespoons strawb'ry jam, 

added last. 

Flour the fruit before adding it; beat the mixture thoroughly, and bake in 
well-buttered tins for 4 hours, keeping a steady heat. 

POOR MAN'S CAKE. 

2 cups flour. 1 teaspoon saleratus, dissolved in 



1 cup sugar. 

1 tablespoon butter. 



1 cup boiling water poured over 
1 lb. fat pork, chopped fine. 
1 lb. raisins. 



1 cup raisins. 

PORK CAKE. 

2 cups sugar. 
1 cup molasses. 



1 cup sour milk. 



Stir in flour until quite stiff and bake slowly. 



1 lb. butter. 

1 lb. -white sugar. 

12 eggs, beaten separately. 

2 eggs. 

Vz cup butter. 



POUND CAKE. 

1 lb. flour. 

Vz teaspoon mace. 

QUICK CAKE. 

<Vz cup sweet milk. 
Vz cup sugar. 



1 teaspoon soda. 
Spices to taste. 



1 nutmeg (grated). 

3 tablespoons rose-water. 



Wz teaspoons baking powder. 



Add flour until it will not drop from the spoon. Can be eaten warm. 



1 cup sugar. 
Vz cup butter. 

2 eggs. 



Vz cup sugar. 

Vz cup molasses. 

legg. 

M cup butter. 



2 cups sugar. 
2 cups butter. 

1 cup rose-water. 

2 cups milk. 



"Whites of 5 eggs. 
2 cups white sugar. 



1 cup butter. 

2 cups sugar. 
Whites of 5 eggs. 



4 eggs. 

1 cup of sugar. 



RAISED CAKE. 

1 cup sponge. 

Vz cup flour. 

1 teaspoon soda. 



1 cup raisins. 
Spice to taste. 
Let rise 2 hours. 



RAISIN CAKE (Economical). 
l A cup hot water. Flour to make stiff enough to 

Vz teaspoon soda. hold a spoon. 

1 cup raisins. 
1 teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves. 



RAISIN CAKE. 

2 cups molasses. 
8 eggs. 

Juice of 2 lemons. 
7 cups flour. 

SILVER CAKE. 

Vz cup butter. 
4 cups flour. 

SNOW CAKE, 

1 scant cup milk. 
3 cups flour. 

2 teaspoons baking powder. 

SPONGE CAKE. 

3 tablespoons of water. 

2 teaspoons of baking powder. 



1 teaspoon soda. 

4 cups seeded raisins. 



2 teaspoons baking powder. 
Beat all well. 



Flavor with vanilla. 
Bake in small round tins. 



1 cup of flour. 
Flavor with vanilla. 



CAKES. 253 

BERWICK SPONGE CAKE. 

6 eggs. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 5 cups of flour. 

1 cup of -water. 3 cups granulated sugar. Juice and grated peel of 1 lemon. 

Beat the eggs 2 minutes; add the sugar and beat 5 minutes, then 2 cups of 
flour and beat 2 minutes; add the water, lemon juice and peel with a pinch of 
salt and beat 1 minute. Have the baking powder mixed with the remaining 2 
cups of flour; add, and beat 1 minute. Bake slowly % of an hour in 2 deep bread- 
pans. 

COCOANUT SPONGE CAKE. 

6 eggs, beaten separately. 1 teaspoon salt. Yz nutmeg (grated), 

l.cup sugar (heaped). 1 teaspoon lemon essence. Grated cocoanut. 

1 cup flour. 

Beat the yolks and sugar together, then add the flour, salt, lemon essence and 

nutmeg; then the beaten whites and the cocoanut last. Stir all well together 

and put it about }4 inch deep in tins lined with well-buttered paper. Bake in a 

quick oven 30 minutes. 

CORN-STARCH SPONGE CAKE. 

1 cup pulverized sugar. M cup corn-starch. Whites of 8 eggs, well beaten. 
Y% cup flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. Flavor with lemon. 

Mix the flour, sugar, corn -starch and baking powder together dry, sifting all 
several times, and stirring thoroughly; then add the eggs and lemon flavor, and 
bake immediately. It is best baked in a long deep pan. It also makes an 
excellent roll jelly cake. This quantity is enough for 2 large rolls; bake in long 
shallow tins; as soon as done remove on a clean cloth, spread with jelly, and roll 
up at once. 

CREAM SPONGE CAKE. 

2 eggs, broken into A pinch of salt. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 
1 teacup of cream. 2 cups sifted flour. 1 teaspoon lemon essence. 

1 cup white sugar. 

Beat together for 5 or 10 minutes, and bake in a square baking-tin 15 minutes. 

SPICE CAKE. 

2 cups brown sugar. Yolks of 2 eggs. 1 teaspoon allspice. 
Yz cup butter (scant). White of 1 egg. Yz teaspoon cloves. 
2% cups flour. 1 teaspoon soda. Yz nutmeg (grated). 
1 cup sour milk, 2 teaspoons cinnamon. 

TOYMAN CAKE. 

1 cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 1 cup sweet milk. 3 cups flour. 

Yz cup corn-starch. 4 eggs. 2 teaspoons baking powder. Flavoring of any kind. 

TROY CAKE. 

Whites of 5 eggs. lYz cups sugar. Yz cup butter. 

1 cup milk. 3 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Divide the mixture, and color % with strawberry coloring, and flavor with 
vanilla; flavor the other part with lemon. Put in the white, then the pink, and 
bake slowly. 

WEDDING CAKE. 

2 lbs. butter. 2 lbs. white sugar. 18 eggs, beaten separately. 

1 cup molasses. Juice of 2 lemons. 1 teaspoon saleratus. 

3 tablespoons cloves' 2 tablespoons each of mace, M lb. citron, cut thin and small, 
(ground). allspice and nutmeg. 4 lbs.seedless raisins or currants. 

2 lbs. flour. 

Cream the butter and add the sugar, then the molasses, lemon, and spices; 
then the beaten yolks, beating all well together, then the flour with saleratus 
sifted in, and last the beaten whites. Beat all together thoroughly. Flour the 
fruit and add last. Bake slowly 4 hours, or longer, if needed. The cake will 
keep for years. 

WHITE CAKE. 

Yz cup butter. V-A cups white sugar. 1 cup sweet milk. 

Whites of 3 eggs. 3 cups flour. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Flavor with lemon or vanilla. 



254 CAKES. 

GROOM'S CAKE. 

2 cups butter (heaped). 2 cups white sugar (heaped). 10 eggs, beaten separately. 

4 cups flour. 2 lbs. almonds, blanched and 1 lb. raisins (seeded). 
Mi lb. citron (shaved fine). chopped. 

Stir the almonds into the cake; flour the raisins and citron and put a layer in 

the cake-pan, then put in a layer of cake, then fruit again, and so on alternately, 

finishing with cake. Bake 2 hours in a moderate oven. 

WHITE CAKE (Economical). 

1 cup granulated sugar. 3 tablespoons nice fat. 1 cup milk. 

2 l A cups flour. 1 teaspoon soda. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. 

Nutmeg, or any flavoring desired. 

Add raisins or currants if liked; bake in a rather slow oven. It resembles old- 
fashioned election cake. 

WHITE PERFECTION CAKE. 

3 cups powdered sugar. 1 cup butter. 1 cup sweet milk. 
3 cups flour. 1 cup corn-starch. Whites of 12 eggs. 
2 l A teaspoons baking powder. 

Caramel Icing. — 2 cups powdered sugar; % cup sweet milk, 1 tablespoon of 

butter. Boil 10 minutes and stir while boiling; then set the dish in cold water 

and stir until cold. 

WHORTLEBERRY CAKE. 

1 cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 5 eggs, beaten separately. 

1 cup sweet milk. 3 cups flour. 1 teaspoon soda. 

1 teaspoon each cinnamon and 4 cups fresh whortleber- 

nutmeg. ries. 

Be careful not to bruise the berries, adding them last. Bake in a moderate 

oven. 

GINGER CAKE {Without Eggs). 

1 cup molasses. 1 cup sugar. 1 cup milk. . V«. cup butter, 

5 cups sifted flour. 1 tablespoon ginger. y z teaspoon soda. A little cloves if liked. 

Melt the butter and molasses in the sugar, allow the mixture to become hot, 
and then add spices, milk with soda, and flour. It is a good plan to try a small 
cake first, and if it falls add more flour. 

GINGERBREAD. 

2 cups sugar. 2 eggs. % cup butter. 

3 cups flour. 1 teaspoon ginger. 1 cup sweet milk. 
1 tablespoon baking powder. 

Bake in a thin sheet, and while hot, sprinkle granulated sugar on top. Cut in 

squares. (See our article on "Frosting and Icing" for the method of glazing 

gingerbread.) 

HARD GINGERBREAD. 

1 cup molasses. % cup shortening. 1 teaspoon soda. 

1 teaspoon ginger. V2 teaspoon salt. Flour enough to roll out like pie-crust. 

HARD GINGERBREAD NO. 3. 

1 cup sugar. 2 eggs. 1 teaspoon of ground ginger. 

V?. cup butter. 1 teaspoon salt. 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder. 

Mix hard, and roll thin. Bake in large dripping-pan, if you have not sheets 

of tin. 

HARD GINGERBREAD (Without Eggs). 
1 cup molasses . % cup butter. 1 teaspoon ground ginger. 

1 teaspoon soda dissolved in % cup water. 1 level teaspoon salt. 

Mix hard and roll thin, and bake as above. 

HOT WATER GINGERBREAD. 

1 cup molasses- Vo. cup hot water. 2 tablespoons butter. 

2 tablespoons sour milk. 1 large cup flour. Ms teaspoon ginger. 
1 teaspoon soda. 



RICH SOFT GINGERBREAD. 



1 small cup of molasses. 1 cup of butter. 1 teaspoon each of ginger and salt. 

1 cup of sugar. 2 eggs. 1 teaspoon of soda. 

Make a stiff dough with flour, and bake in square tin. 



CAKES. 255 

OBMSEIBE GINGERBREAD. 

1 cup brown sugar (heaped). 1 tablespoon ginger (heaped). M lb. citron (cut fine). 

1 cup butter (heaped). X A nutmeg (grated). 5 level cups flour. 

1 cup molasses. 

Work butter and sugar together, add the molasses, flour, and ginger, grate in 

the nutmeg, and stir in the citron. Let the dough stand over night; then roll 

thin, cut in shapes with a biscuit cutter and bake in a quick oven. It makes a 

delicious hard gingerbread. 

SOFT GINGERBREAD. 

Butter the size of an egg. 1 teaspoon of soda dissolved in 1 teaspoon of salt. 

1 cup molasses. 1 cup of water. 

1 teaspoon of ginger. 

Mix stiff and bake in a square tin. 

RAISIN GINGERBREAD. 

3 eggs. 1 cup chopped raisins. 2 cups of flour. 

1 cup molasses. 1 tablespoon of soda. Spice to taste. 

1 cup sour milk. 

SPICE GINGERBREAD. 

1 cup butter. 1 cup sour cream. G-inger/cinnamon, cloves and 

1 cup molasses. 4 eggs. nutmeg to taste. 

3 cups flour. 1 teaspoon of soda. Bake in square tins. 

1 cup sugar. V% cup of dried currants. 

SOUR CREAM GINGERBREAD. 

1 cup molasses. V% cup shortening (part butter and 2 teaspoons soda. 

1 cup sugar. part meat dripping). 1 tablespoon ginger(or 

1 cup thick sour cream. 1 egg. more to suit taste). 

Stir all together, dissolve soda in a little water, use flour enough to make a 

medium stiff batter, but not too stiff as that will spoil the effect. Bake in a good 

sized dripping-pan so the cake will be 1% inch thick. 

SOUR MILK GINGERBREAD. 

1 egg. l A cup sour milk. 1 level- teaspoon ground ginger. 

Butter the size of an egg. 1 level teaspoon soda. 2 cups flour. 

Vi cup molasses. 

Bake in a flat tin, not as a loaf. 

SUGAR GINGERBREAD. 

1 cup sugar. 2 eggs. 1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger. 

Yz cup butter. 1 level teaspoon of salt. ^teaspoon of soda. 

Yi cup sour milk. 

Mix hard and roll thin. Bake on sheets of tin or in" the dripping-pan. 



FROSTING AND ICING. 

Frosting or icing made from the beaten white of egg and sugar, serves for all 
kinds of ornamentation, both for cakes and pastry. The eggs can be beaten in a 
flat dish, with a fork, until stiff, and then the sugar added, and then the flavor- 
ing; or the sugar and eggs can be beaten together. Frosting cannot be made 
satisfactorily unless the sugar used is the powdered kind, made expressly for this 
purpose. The proportions are 1 egg to % of a cup, or 10 heaping teaspoons, of 
sugar. If an acid flavor like lemon is used, a little more sugar will be needed; 
the size of the egg must also be considered. If an insufficient quantity of sugar 
is used icing will not harden. A little sweet cream, lemon-juice or vinegar softens 
icing so that it crumbles less readily. The egg and sugar must be thoroughly 
beaten, some insisting on 30 minutes beating and others on only 5 minutes! 
If the eggs do not beat readily a pinch of salt can be added, which will help 
some. Have the frosting all beaten and ready before the cake comes out of 
the oven. The frosting should be put on while the cake is warm, but not 
while it is hot. If there are several cakes, and some of them cool while 
the others are being iced, they can be set in the oven and warmed before 
being frosted. A heavy frosting put directly on to a cake will inevitably peel on 



256 CAKES. 

account of the moisture or oiliness of the cake. A little flour dusted on a cake 
and then the loose particles rubbed off is a good preventive against the cracking 
of the frosting; or a little gelatine dissolved in boiling water and applied hot is 
sometimes used. An inverted milk-pan is a good thing on which to set the cake 
while applying the frosting. Dip the knife often in cold water if the frosting is 
stiff, and smooth it off nicely. If it is desired to frost the top only, strips of paper, 
well oiled, can be pinned around the cake, extending above the top, to prevent 
the icing from running down the sides; and removed when it cools. After icing, 
the cake can be set in a very cool oven to dry and harden for a short time, but do 
not let the top become colored; or set it in the warm sun. If nuts, raisins, or 
similar articles are put on for ornaments they should be added while the icing is 
moist. Piping is done when the icing is dry. All iced cakes should be kept in a 
very dry place. 

It will please a child when making cake to make a small one for her; cover with 
white frosting, and when that hardens, write the child's name on top with a small 
brush dipped in the yolk of egg. Children will be more pleased with some simple 
cake, not much more than sweetened bread, and ornamented for them, than they 
would be by the richest plum cake unornamented, and which they could not eat 
with safety. 

Any frosting left over can be made into little wafers, dried in the oven, and 
used for decorating various dishes. 

COLORS FOR FROSTINGS, CANDIES, ETC. 

A Cawfa'ow.— Nothing but vegetable colors should ever be used for frostings, 
candies, or any cooking purposes. As some of the coloring matters sold in the 
stores (and too often used by the uninformed) are deleterious or even poisonous, 
it is better, when possible, to prepare all coloring matters at home. We give the 
best of those which are adapted for domestic use, and they will meet all the ordi- 
nary wants of our readers. 

To Whiten Frosting. — A few drops of lemon-juice whitens frosting; so does 
a small pinch of cream of tartar. 

For an amber coloring mixture put % oz. turmeric in 2 oz. deodorized alco- 
hol; shake till dissolved, strain it, and bottle for use. 

Blue frosting is colored with indigo. It does for ornamental icing, but is bet- 
ter not eaten. 

Brown frosting may be made by adding caramel to gelatine frosting; or by 
beating the whites of the eggs with nice maple sugar. 

For chocolate color add a little chocolate or cocoa. 

Pink frosting may be made by adding cranberry, strawberry, or raspberry 
juice from which the seeds have been strained; the jeUy can also be strained and 
used, or a little cochineal will produce the color. 

Yellow frosting may be made by adding a trifle of strong saffron tea (if too 
much is used it is apt to impart a bitter taste). Or grate the rind of an orange 
into some orange juice, let it soak about 1 hour; strain, and use for coloring. 
Lemon peel can be used the same way. (These are preferable to the saffron. See 
what we say elsewhere about how to grate orange peel.) 

Avery pretty tint for frosting white cakes is made by beating together 1 cup 
of white sugar and the yolks of 3 eggs; flavor with lemon. 

Carmine color can be made by mixing 1% oz. boiling water, % oz - ammonia, 
and % oz. No. 40 carmine; bottle, cork closely, and it will keep any length of 
time. 

Cochineal Coloring. — Boil 1 oz. of powdered cochineal and 5 grains of baking 
soda in 1 cup of water, in an earthen vessel till reduced %; then add % oz. cream 
of tartar and the same of powdered alum ; boil 10 minutes, strain through cloth, 
and bottle. Adding a little alcohol will make it keep any length of time. 

A Red Color for confectionery, jellies, etc., is sometimes prepared by boiling 
sliced beetroot in a little water, and then squeezing it through a cloth. 

Saffron. — Boil thoroughly 1 oz. of saffron in 2 cups of water; strain through 
cloth and bottle for use. In using this, the shade may be varied by using more 
or less of it. (The objection to saffron is its tendency to impart a bitter taste if 
too much is used.) 

Spinach Green. — Carefully trim the leaves from some young spinach, wash 
them, pound them to a pulp, add a little water, and boil till it curdles; then strain, 



CAKES. 257 

This juice can be used fresh, or it can be worked up into colored sugar, and kept 
for future use. 

Coloring Almonds. — Almonds can be given a yellow color by splitting them in 
two after blanching, and putting them in the oven till they get a light golden 
tinge. They can be tinged pink or red with cochineal mixed with a little syrup, 
rubbing the almonds in it, and drying them in a cool oven. Green coloring is 
produced in the same way with spinach green. Only vegetable colorings should 
be used for this purpose. 

Coloring Sugar. — Dry granulated sugar can be tinted by working in enough 
of the desired tint to color the sugar; then dry the sugar, powder it, and bottle 
for use. 

Flavoring sugar is done in various ways. It can be pounded, adding the 
flavoring during the process; then sift through a fine sieve, and bottle for use. 
For 1 lb. of sugar, 2 oz. of either lemon or orange peel will be sufficient. Other fla- 
vors can be obtained by using instead 1 oz. of ginger, or 2 oz. of cinnamon, or % 
oz. of cloves. We have previously explained how to prepare vanilla sugar. 

Prepared Caramel. — Caramel is crystallized sugar heated to 420° F. when it 
decomposes, loses its power of crystallizing and fermenting, and acquires a dark 
brown color and a bitter flavor. It can be prepared as follows: Put 2 cups of 
granulated sugar in the frying-pan, add 1 tablespoon of water, and heat it over a 
clear fire, stirring continually, till it assumes a dark brown color, is brittle, and 
bitter to the taste, but do not burn it. Then add slowly 2 cups hot water, stir 
constantly, and boil 10 minutes and let it cool. If it candies when cool, add 
water and boil again. Bottle when cold, keep corked, and it will never spoil. It is 
used to flavor or color custards, sauces, soups, broths, gravies, etc., and has so 
many uses that it is well to always keep it on hand. 

FROSTING AND ICING. 

Plain Frosting. — Beat 2 eggs to a stiff froth, and gradually work in 1 cup 
powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons corn-starch. Flavor with lemon. 

Almond Frosting. — Make like raisin frosting, but use 1 cup blanched sweet 
almonds instead of the raisins. 

Boiled Frosting. — The white of 1 egg, 1 cup granulated sugar. Beat the egg 
' to a stiff froth. Put just enough boiling water on the sugar to melt it, then boil 
to a thick syrup; pour the boiling syrup over the beaten egg, and beat until it is 
thoroughly mixed. Add flavor. Pour over the cake while hot. If too much 
boiled, the tendency of the frosting will be to dry before it cools, but 1 or 2 drops 
of hot water added while using will remedy it. 

Chocolate Frosting. — Beat the whites of 2 eggs to a stiff froth, stir in 1 teacup 
of pulverized sugar and six tablespoons of grated chocolate; mix well, and spread 
on while the cake is hot. 

Boiled Chocolate Frosting. — Boil together 1 cup of light brown sugar and % 
cup of water. Remove it from the stove as soon as it strings from the spoon, and 
stir in the whites of 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth, together with 34 cake of Baker's 
chocolate, finely grated. Spread this between the layers of the cake, and over 
the top while the frosting is warm. 

Easily-Made Frosting. — Allow a full half cup of pulverized sugar to the white 
of 1 egg, stirring it in instead of beating the egg; spread it smoothly over the 
cake and set away to dry and you will find that the icing made in this way will 
cut without breaking, and be smoother than when beaten in the old way. The 
icing made from the white of 1 egg is enough for an ordinary sized cake. Flavor, 
if desired, to suit the tast& 

Gelatine Frosting. — One teaspoon gelatine put to soak in 1% tablespoons of 
cold water, and allowed to stand till it becomes a little soft. Now add 2 table- 
spoons boiling water, and let the mixture boil a minute. Soak it in a cup in which 
it can boil. Measure, and pour upon a large plate, and to every tablespoon of the 

17 



258 CAKES. 

liquid add 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar rolled and sifted to free it from 
lumps. Beat well, as the longer it is beaten the lighter and whiter it becomes. 
Flavor with 1 teaspoon rose or vanilla extract. Have the cake cold. This quan- 
tity is enough for 2 pies or 1 loaf of cake. It can be put on very thick, will not 
crumble, cuts as well as the cake itself, and is not sticky. 

Isinglass Frosting. — Pour 1 coffee-cup of hot water on 1 sheet isinglass, then 
leave it to dissolve in a warm place. When quite dissolved, and there is no scum, 
stir in 1 large teaspoon corn-starch and 2 heaping cups of pulverized sugar. Pour 
it on the cakes when they are cold, do not smooth it much, and let it harden in a 
cool place. More easily made than the ordinary frosting. 

Maple Syrup Frosting. — This is made by adding the beaten white of 1 egg to 
1 cup of good maple syrup. 

Milk Frosting. — Boil together 2 cups sugar, % cup of milk, and 1 tablespoon 
of butter for 10 minutes; remove from the stove, and beat until creamy and thick 
enough to spread. Add % teaspoon of vanilla. 

Raisin Frosting. — Put 1 cup white sugar in 2 tablespoons warm water, and 
boil 5 minutes; pour it over the beaten white of 1 egg, and beat well; then add 1 
cup chopped raisins. 

Soft Frosting.— Take 1 cup sugar and % CU P milk, and boil until it will drop 
in strings from the spoon; then put in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of flour, and beat a 
few minutes; let stand until cool, and thick enough to spread on cake without 
running. 

Boiled Icing. — Stir 1 cup granulated sugar in 1 cup water, and set on the stove 
to boil; do not stir after it begins to boil; test it with a cold spoon, and when it 
"threads" by holding the spoon high and letting the syrup fall back very slowly 
into the sauce-pan, take it from the fire; add the beaten white of 1 egg to the hot 
syrup, and beat 5 minutes. Add flavoring. Spread on the cake while warm. 

Coffee Icing is made by stirring confectioner's sugar into strong coffee set on 
the stove till it is heated; put it on the cake while warm. 

Orange Icing. — Squeeze the juice of an orange over the grated rind, and let it 
stand an hour; then strain the juice; add to it a coffee-cup of confectioner's 
sugar and the yolk of an egg, then beat until stiff enough to spread on the cake. 

Icing Cookies, Etc. — Before putting in the oven, dredge or sprinkle sugar- 
gingerbread, cookies, and other small cakes not to be frosted, with fine sugar, 
and it will give a rich brown glaze, and add much to their flavor. 

ORNAMENTAL ICING. 

Many people imagine that it requires a great deal of practice and special skill 
to do anything of this kind, but those who have never tried it will be surprised 
to find what pretty effects can be produced with the simplest materials,, All 
that is needed is a paper cone, which is easily made, and a little icing. 

Paper cones for icing can be made as follows : Cut a sheet of rather stiff 
paper so as to get a triangular sheet as shown in Fig. 1, having it about 10 
inches from 1 to 2, and 5 inches from 1 to 3. Divide the hypothenuse, 2, 3, into 
3 equal parts at 5 and 4. Then fold over the paper to make creases in it as 
shown by the dotted lines from 1 to 5 and 5 to P, and also from 6 to 4. Then take 
the point 3 between the finger and thumb of the left hand, with the point 3 up- 
ward and the long side 1, 2, towards you, and taking the point 2 between the 
thumb and finger of the right hand roll the paper around the fingers of the 
left hand so as to form a cone, the apex of which will be at 5, and the crease 
5, P, overlaps the crease 5,1. This will leave the long point 2, 4, 6, projecting 



CAKES. 



259 




above the cone, and it can be turned down into the center, bringing the 
point 2 down to the apex, and this will hold the cone in shape, as seen in Fig. 

2. The point is then cut off and the icing passes out of the opening thus 
made. The amount cut off regulates the size of the hole, and therefore the size 
of the stream of icing which 
will come through. Little brass 
tubes are made for this pur- 
pose, which can be bought if 
desired for a few cents each. 
The end of the cone is cut off, 
and the tube dropped into the 
cone, projecting a little as 
shown by the dark end in Fig. 

3. It is best to make 6 or 8 
cones at a time, as the icing 
softens the paper, and for this 
reason a rather stiff paper is 
needed. 

To use the cone it is filled 
about % to % full of icing, and 
the sides of the top are folded 
in over each other in such a Z 
way as to hold in the icing, as 
shown in Fig. 3 In using the paper cone for piping or ornamental icing. 

cone it is grasped by the thumb^and forefinger of the left hand a little ways up 
from the apex, while the right hand holds the top and the right thumb rests 
over the center or top, and forces out the icing by a slight pressure. The icing 
or frosting which is used is simply the white of egg beaten up with sugar as we 
have explained for frosting. It can be variously colored as desired. The frost- 
ing on the cake should be cold when this ornamental work is applied. This 
sort of decoration is termed piping. 

If the icing gets too thin, add^more sugar; if too thick, add a little more beaten 
egg; it can be kept from drying while being used by laying a wet cloth over the 
bowl containing it. 

Piping or ornamental 
frosting admits of endlessly 
varied designs and effects. It 
is best to begin with some sim- 
ple design. It can be drawn on 
paper, a piece of glass laid over 
it, and then let the nozzle of 
the cone trace the design 
while the icing is steadily 
pressed out by the thumb at 
the top. Then the glass can be 
cleaned off and another trial 
made. In this way very rapid 
progress can be made, and any Fig 5 

one can speedily learn to or- 
nament their own cakes, while those with special aptitude can devise very 
attractive designs. A simple figure for a border is shown in Fig. 4, while Fij;. 



roinnnnnn 



Fig, 4. 





260 CAKES. 

5 shows another design, in which the dots might be put on with pink icing to 
make a contrast. We give other designs suitable for practice. The best taste, 
however, does not favor an excessive use of colors. Plain white, and the milder 
colors judiciously used to produce some contrasts, will result in the most pleasing 
effects. Ladies will be surprised at the ease with which the work is done and the ad- 
vance they make in learning. Cakes can be thus decorated so as to produce very 
pretty effects which will be pleasing and gratifying to guests. Patterns 
as pretty as any they can embroider can be made much more quickly 
with a paper cone. 
A well - decorated 
cake makes a 
pretty addition to 
a well-ornamented 
table. 

Crystallization, 
which is sometimes 
used, is merely put- 
ting on, while the 
icing is moist, 

crushed rock candy Fig. 6. Fig. 7. 

or granulated sugar, white or colored (see "Colors for Frosting"). Special designs 
can be applied by letting the frosting dry, then marking out the design with white 
of egg or gum water; then sprinkle on the white or colored sugar or candy, and 
shake off all that does not adhere. 

Jelly can be used for piping in just the same manner as frosting. Warm it so 
that it will pass easily through the cone; beating it to a uniform consistency with 
a spoon often helps it, especially in cold weather. 

Butter or lard can also be used in the same way. Have it soft enough to pass 
easily through the cone with gentle pressure, but not too soft. In hot weather it 
can be stiffened with a little flour, but do not get it too stiff. 

Ornamenting Other Articles. — Piping is used for decorating many other 
things besides cakes, but the method is the same for all. For pastry or puddings 
the frosting made of white of egg arid sugar is used, while butter, lard or jelly, 
are used for ham, tongue or roast fowl. 



SMALL CAKES. 

For cookies, snaps, jumbles, etc., a quick oven is the best. They are 
all best kept in a tin box. If they get moist by keeping, dry them out in the 
oven. For icing cookies, etc., see our article on "Frosting and Icing." Some 
people sprinkle cookies with sugar, after being rolled out, then cut them out, 
press a raisin in the center, and bake. 

ALMOND DROPS. 

1M cups sugar. 1 cup butter. 1 cup almonds, blanched. 

3 eggs. Flour to roll and drop. 

ANISE DROPS. 

2 cups granulated sugar. 3 eggs. 3 cups flour. 1 teaspoon anise seed. 

Beat the sugar and eggs well for ~% hour; then add the other ingredients; 
drop on buttered pans and bake in a moderate oven. The secret lies in beating 
rapidly and thoroughly. Each teaspoon is dropped separately so as to make sep- 
arate cakes. 



CAKES. 261 

GINGER DROPS. 

% cup butter. 1 cup sugar. 54 cup molasses. 

2 eggs. 1 teaspoon ground ginger. 2 teaspoons baking powder. 

Beat all well together, adding flour till stiff enough to drop from the spoon in 

drops the size of an egg. Bake on tins in a moderate oven. 

GINGER DROPS NO. 3. 

2 eggs (well beaten). 1 cup brown sugar. 2 teaspoons ginger. 
54 cup molasses. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 tablespoon vinegar. 
Flavor with, lemon or vanilla. 

Roll out thin, and cut with a small cutter and bake in a quick oven. 

GINGER NUTS (Without Eggs). 
1 cup molasses. 54 cup brown sugar. M cup lard. 

1 teaspoon ginger. 54 cup sour milk, or buttermilk. 1 teaspoon soda. 

Mix very soft, form into round balls like nuts, and bake in a rather quick 
oven. 

COOKIES. 

154 cups white sugar. 54 cup lard. 54 cup butter. 

1 cup sour milk. 1 teaspoon of soda. Flour sufficient to make dough. 

Season with caraway seed or nutmeg to suit the taste. Mix thoroughly; roll 

very thin; bake quickly. 

BOSTON TEA COOKIES. 

1 teacup butter. 3 teacups sugar. 3 eggs. 

54 cup sour milk. 54 teaspoon soda. Spice to taste. 

Flour enough to roll out rather stiff. 

CINNAMON COOKIES. 

1 cup butter (heaped). 2 cups brown sugar (heaped). 3 eggs. 

Flour to roll out; cut in small cakes, and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar just 
before baking. 

COCOANCT COOKIES. 

1 cup sugar. 54 cup butter. 1 egg. 

54 teaspoon soda in a little water. 54 cocoanut (grated). Flour enough to roll. 

CREAM COOKIES (Extra). 
154 cups sugar. 1 cup thin sweet cream. 154 cups butter. 

1 egg. 3 teaspoons baking powder. Flour to roll soft- 

Sprinkle with sugar and cut. 

CREAM COOKIES NO. 3. 

1 cup thick sour cream. 54 teaspoon soda. Flavor with lemon. 

1 cup sugar. A pinch of salt. 

Mix with flour enough to roll; after they are rolled sprinkle with granulated 

sugar and just pass the rolling-pin over again so it will not dust off. 

GINGER COOKIES. 

1 cup sugar. % cup warm water. A pinch of salt. 

% cup butter. 2 teaspoons soda. Mix rather soft. 

1 cup molasses. 2 heaping teaspoons ginger. 

HERMIT COOKIES. 

54 cup butter. 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, 54 teaspoon soda 

154 cups sugar. cloves and nutmeg. dissolved in 

3 eggs. Flour to roll soft. 4 tablespoons water. 

. MOEASSES COOKIES (Without eggs). 
1 cup New Orleans molasses. 54 cup melted butter, 54 teaspoon soda dissolved in 

Add cinnamon, cloves and nutmegs, or other 2 tablespoons cold water 

spices to taste. (not more). 

Use flour to make stiff enough so that it will just drop off from the spoon. 
They are nice eaten warm. 

Molasses Cookies No. 2. — Beat together 1 cup molasses, 1 cup sugar and 1 egg; 
add % cup of melted lard in which is 1 teaspoon of salt; add 1 teaspoon of soda 
dissolved in warm water, and 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon, cloves and ginger; 
when all are mixed add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and as much flour as can be 
mixed in. Roll out thin, and bake in a quick oven. 



2G2 CAKES. 

HICKORY-NUT COOKIES. 

\ X A cups sugar. 3 eggs (well beaten). 1 cup hickory-nut meats, 

l A cup butter. 1 teaspoon baking powder. chopped rather fine. 

4 tablespoons milk. Flour enough to roll thin. Bake in a quick oven. 

ORANGE COOKIES. 

1 cup sugar. % cup butter. S eggs. 

Flour to roll out. 1 heaping teaspoon baking powder. Grated rind of 2 or 3 oranges. 

ROCKFORD COOKIES. 

1 cup white sugar. Yz cup butter. 1 egg. 

2 tablespoons sweet milk. 2 teaspoons baking powder. Add flour enough to roll out. 
Bake quickly. 

VANILLA COOKIES. 

Yn cup butter. 2 cups sugar. 1 cup milk. 

Yi teaspoon soda. Flour enough to roll soft. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Sprinkle on sugar as you roll them out. 1 teaspoon cream of tartar. 

PATTY CAKES. 

Va cup sugar. 2 eggs. 1 cup milk or water. 

2 teaspoons baking powder. 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

Make a soft sponge and bake quickly in patty-pans. 

JUMBLES. 

1 cup sugar. Yz cup butter. Yi cup milk. 

1 teaspoon baking powder. Flour to roll out. Bake in a quick oven. 

COCOANUT JUMBLES. 

1% cups pulverized sugar (heaped). 1 cup butter (scant). 1 cup flour (heaped). 

5 eggs. 1 lb. grated cocoanut. Drop on tins with tablespoon. 

HICKORY-NUT JUMBLES. 

1 cup sugar. 1 egg. 1 cup flour. 

1 tablespoon of water. 1 cup hickory-nut kernels. 

Stir all well together, drop on greased pans with a tablespoon, and bake in a 

hot oven. 

DROP CAKE. 

4 eggs. 2 cups milk. A little salt. 

Flour enough for thin batter. Bake in cups. 

GINGER BISCUITS. 

1 cup butter. 2 cups sugar. . 2 eggs. 

Yi cup sweet milk. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 1 teaspoon ground ginger. 

Beat the butter and sugar together; add the eggs, and beat again; then add 

the milk. Have the baking powder and ginger well mixed in a coffee-cup of 

flour. Add this and more flour to make a stiff dough. Cut out like cookies, and 

bake. 

GINGER SNAPS. 

1 cup sugar. 1 cup molasses. 1 cup lard. 

1 tablespoon ginger. 1 teaspoon saleratus dissolved in Salt to taste. 

2 or 3 tablespoons of water. 

Stir in flour until the dough can be made into marbles between the palms. 
Flatten and place in tins far enough apart not to touch each other in rising, and 
bake moderately. These snaps will keep weeks if kept dry; if they become damp, 
they can be dried out and baked again. 

GINGER SNAPS NO. 3. 

2 eggs. 2 cups New Orleans molasses. 1 cup butter. 
2 tablespoons ginger. 2 teaspoons soda. 

GINGER SNAPS (Without Eggs). 
2 cups molasses. 1 cup sugar. % cup water. 

1 teaspoon soda. V% cup lard. Yi cup butter. 

SUGAR GINGER SNAPS. 

1 cup sugar. 3 tablespoons of butter. 4 tablespoons of lard. 

Vs cup of water (scant). 2 teaspoons of ginger. X A teaspoon soda dissolved 

Flour enough to roll. in warm water. 

Warm the shortening and sugar and stir in the water and ginger; then the 

soda, and add the flour last. Roll out very thin and bake in a quick oven. 



CAKES. 



263 



FRUIT SNAPS. 

Wz cups sugar. 1 cup butter. Yi cup molasses. 

3 eggs. 1 teaspoon soda. 1 cup each raisins and currants. 

1 teaspoon each of ginger, cloves, cinnamon and allspice. 

Flour to roll out as soft as can be cut. These will keep several months. 



LEMON SNAPS. 



% cup butter. 
1 teaspoon soda. 



1 cup sugar. 
Lemon flavor. 



2 eggs. 

Flour to roll soft. 



4 tablespoons hot -water. 
Bake in a quick oven. 




LADY FINGERS. 

Take the yolks of 5 eggs, beaten light, 1 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon baking 
powder, flour to roll thin; flavor to taste. 
Cut in strips the size of a finger. Do not 
let them touch in the pan. Bake in a quick 
oven, watching them, as they readily scorch. 
No. 2. — Another recipe is to take the yolks 
of 3 eggs, beat light, add )^ cup powdered 
sugar and beat again; add 2 heaping table- 
spoons cf flour, mix well, and add the well- 
beaten whites of the 3 eggs. Squeeze them 
out of a paper cone, or bag (as shown in our 
illustration), dust on sugar, and bake till 
light brown in a moderate oven. 

MACAROONS. 

Almond Macaroons. — Take 1 lb. almonds, 
blanch them, and pound to a paste with a 
little rose water or oil of lemon; add 1 lb. of 
white sugar, and the well-beaten whites of 4 
eggs. Bake in drops, or small cakes, on forming lady fingers. 

buttered tins in a slow oven to a light brown. Some glaze them with beaten yolk 
of egg, and others dust on sugar before baking them. Keep in tightly closed tin 
boxes or glass jars. 

Filbert Macaroons may be made by using equal parts of filberts and almonds. 

For Cocoanut Macaroons, use 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup grated cocoa- 
nut; work in enough of the cocoanut milk to form a plain paste; mold and bake 
as above directed. 

Hickory-Nut Macaroons. — Beat the whites of 3 eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar, 
and 1 cup powdered sugar, till very light; stir in 1 cup chopped hickory-nuts, 
and bake like almond macaroons. 

KISSES. 

Take the well-beaten whites of 3 eggs, add 5 tablespoons of powdered sugar, 
and flavor with lemon juice; drop on buttered paper with a spoon, sift sugar over 
them and bake 30 minutes in a slow oven. 

For Chocolate Kisses pound together 2 oz. chocolate and 2 cups white sugar; 
sift it, mix it with the well-beaten white of egg, and finish as above. 

MAPLE SUGAR CAKES. 

Rub a piece of butter the size of an egg into 2 cups of flour, then add an even 
teaspoon of salt, well pulverized; again add a heaping teaspoon of home-made 
baking powder; stir all together thoroughly. Have on hand a cup of maple sugar 
coarsely sliced from the cake. {Place the cake of sugar on a tin and put in the 
hot oven until it is soft enough to cut.) Have the oven hot and a baking-tin well 
buttered; add a teacup of sweet milk to the flour and stir quickly. If the dough 
is not thick enough add a trifle more of flour; put in the sugar and stir again. 



264 CAKES. 

Roll out and cut with the biscuit cutter; place on the tin and put in the oven. 
The oven should be hot enough to bake them brown in 10 minutes. 

PUFFS. 

1 cup milk. 2 eggs (-well beaten). 1 tablespoon flour. 

2 rounded tablespoons butter. 4 heaping tablespoons sugar. G-rated rind of 1 lemon. 

Mix the milk and beaten eggs; slowly add the flour, butter, sugar and flavor 
and mix well. Bake 20 minutes in a quick oven in buttered saucers. 

KOLY POLY CAKE. 

1 teacup sugar. 1 teacup flour. 2 tablespoons milk. 

3 eggs (beaten separate). 1 teaspoon soda. 2 teaspoons cream tartar. 

Spread thinly in a long pan, and bake in a quick oven. When done, cover 
with jam while hot (raspberry jam is best) and roll up; cut in slices when cold. 

SHREWSBERRY CAKES. 

1 heaping cup butter (creamed). 1 scant cup granulated sugar. 1 egg (beaten). 

2 cups flour. Vz oz. caraway seeds. 

Roll very thin and cut into small cakes; prick them, and bake in tins or shal- 
low pans in a moderate oven. 

SAVOY BISCUITS. 

Break 5 eggs into a pan and add a coffee-cup of granulated sugar; beat to- 
gether until it is thick, then beat in gradually a coffee-cup of dry sifted flour. 
Place the dough in teaspoonfuls on buttered paper in a dripping-pan, and bake 
a light brown. When cold, brush the under sides of the biscuits with the beaten 
white of an egg, and press 2 together. 

TRIFEES. 

2 cups butter (heaped). 2 cups sugar (heaped). 4 cups flour (heaped). 

1 cup sweet milk. 

Cream the butter and sugar, sift in the flour, add the milk, turn the dough on 

to a bread-board and work well; roll out in as thin sheets as possible, cut in small 

round cakes, and bake in a very moderate oven. 

TURTLE CAKES. 

These always please the children. Have the turtles all made the day before- 
hand, and ready on a plate. Take large raisins and flatten them; insert at one 
end a whole clove, with the head sticking out for the head of the turtle; at the 
other end insert the stem of a clove with the smaller end out for the turtle's tail; 
on each side insert two cloves with the heads picked out leaving the spurs on for 
the claws of the turtles. Make nice round cookies, spread a thick frosting on one 
side, and place a turtle on the frosting to dry. 

TWILBACK. 

1 coffee-cup granulated sugar. 5 eggs. 1 teaspoon salt. 

4 coffee-cups of flour. 

Knead these well together until stiff, then roll the dough out flat about 3 fin- 
gers wide. Br\ish the dough over with the white of an egg, place in a moderate 
oven and bake for % hour; then take it out and cut while hot into thin pieces 
with a sharp knife. Strew these with sugar and place them again in the oven, 
until both sides are a light brown color. A good German cake to eat with coffee 
at breakfast. 



DESSERTS. 

Under this head may be found recipes for making many delicate dishes with 
corn-starch, eggs, gelatine, etc.,which can be prepared in the morning, or the day 
before they are to be used, and, in warm weather, served cold as a dessert. 

Fresh new milk should be used whenever a recipe calls for milk, but con- 
densed milk can be used if fresh milk is not to be obtained. If cream is used it 
should be sweet, and as fresh as possible — the cream from "separators" and 
creamers is the safest to use. Thin cream with milk mixed in it will not whip 
to a froth. The colder it is the better it whips — in warm weather it is apt to turn 
to butter. If cream is slightly turned a very little cooking soda dissolved in a little 
cold water -may be mixed with it without injuring the flavor. The soda (alkali) 
counteracts the lactic acid developed in souring. Milk should be scalded in a 
double boiler made for the purpose; or use a tin pail set in a kettle of boiling 
water which answers very well, and is not likely to be melted to pieces by a care^ 
less servant. 

So many warnings against using bad eggs have already been given that we 
need not repeat them here. Beat eggs in stone or earthenware and not in tin, 
as explained for cakes. It is an improvement to strain yolks through a small 
wire strainer after beating them. The yolks alone, or the whole egg, can be used 
for floats and boiled custards. To add the eggs so that they will not curdle there 
are several ways. One way is to heat the milk till a slight foam appears on top, 
then put in the sugar, which cools it so that the eggs can be added without curd- 
ling. One tablespoon of sugar for each egg is the uniform rule for custards. 

Ducks' eggs, when obtainable, add much to the richness and flavor of cus- 
tards. Less are required than of the ordinary eggs. Four ducks' eggs to a pint of 
milk makes a delicious custard. 

Custards may be made with cream or milk, and with eggs varying in number. 
A. very plain custard can be made with 1 egg to a pint of milk and a good one 
with 3 eggs, but if it is wanted very rich 4 or even 5 eggs can be used. The richer 
the custard the more likely it is to curdle. If it does curdle, take an egg-beater 
and thoroughly beat a bowl full at once and it can be saved, although many cooks 
do not know this. Floating Island can be saved the same way. For boiled cus- 
tards the yolks give a smoother consistency than the whites. Boiled custards 
require constant attention from beginning to end; do not let them boil too long, 
but take them from the stove as soon as they are done and they will thicken in 
cooling; do not leave them in the hot dish, or they will curdle, but pour them 
into cold molds, or set the vessel containing them in cold water. Custard ought 
to be thin enough to pour if it is to serve as a sauce, and should then be taken 
off an instant sooner. 

If the yolks only are used in the custard the whites may be utilized in various 
ways. They can be beaten up, sweetened and flavored and put on top, as in 
"Floating Island;" or after beating, they may be poached by dipping a spoonful 
at a time into boiling water or milk, and then spread on top of the custard, either 
dotted with bits of jelly or not, as preferred. The beaten whites can also be col- 
ored by beating in any bright colored jelly, using 1 tablespoon of jelly to the 
white of each egg. 

In baking custards bake them slowly with moderate heat; if there is too much 
heat they will partly turn to whey. They are done when firm in the center. 

See what we say about the action of heat on flavoring extracts in our intro- 
duction to "Cake." The flavoring is best added after the dish is taken from the 
stove. 

Rennet. — Get the butcher to prepare the stomach of a calf for you, salt it well, 
and spread out to dry; when about half dry, shake the loose salt off and cut it 
into strips; then take a quart bottle, put in the strips, and fill with currant, Mus- 
catine, or any other sweet wine; let stand 12 or 15 days, and it can be used. It 
is superior to the liquid rennet sold in the stores, and will keep 12 months, or 
more. 

(265) 



266 DESSERTS. 

BliANC MANGE. 

Blanc Mange means literally "white food" or jelly.'but in many recipes fruit or 
other coloring is now added to such desserts to improve the appearance and give 
variety. Blanc Mange is made of many materials, like corn-starch, arrow- 
root, sago, tapioca, gelatine, etc. It may be garnished with bright colored jelly 
if desired, and eaten with whipped cream, cream and sugar, boiled custard, 
preserves, fruit juices, jellies or sauces. 

Arrow-root and several other blanc man.ges are given in our "Invalid Cookery" 
(which see). 

Almond Blanc Mange. — Take 4 cups milk, 4 tablespoons of corn-starch and 4 
tablespoons of sugar; boil all together until thick, and add 30 almonds, blanched 
and split. 

Corn-Starch Blanc Mange is made the same way, but do not cook quite as long. 
It can also be made by using 1 tablespoon less of corn-starch, and adding 2 well- 
beaten eggs, which makes it richer. 

Farina Blanc Mange. — Mix 5 tablespoons of farina in a little cold water, add a 
pinch of salt, and stir it into 1 quart of boiling milk; boil 10 to 15 minutes, and 
turn into a wet mold. 

Fruit Blanc Mange. — Stew the fresh fruit, strain off the juice and sweeten to 
taste. Put it in a double kettle and let it boil. While it is boiling, stir in corn- 
starch wet with a little cold water, in the proportion of 2 tablespoons of corn- 
starch to 1 pint of juice; stir it until it is cooked; then pour in molds wet in cold 
water, and set them away to cool. They may be cooled quickly by setting the 
cups in a pan of cold water and changing the water as it becomes warm. Eaten 
with cream and sugar, this is a delightful dessert. If cream is scarce, a rather 
thin boiled custard makes a nice accompaniment. 

Cherries or red raspberries are nicest, but other fruit may be used. Currant 
juice combined with raspberries is fine; strawberries are good, and a circle of fresh 
strawberries around the mold makes a good garnish. 

Irish Moss Blanc Mange. — Wash 1 cup moss in soda water to remove the saline 
taste, and rinse in several waters; steep it in 1 quart of milk till that is thickened; 
strain through a fine sieve, and sweeten and flavor to taste. Wet the mold in 
cold water and pour in the blanc mange. Serve with sugar and cream, eating it 
the day it is made. It is an addition to give a little preserved ginger with each 
plate. This is good for invalids without the ginger. 

Rice Blanc Mange. — Use 34 pound ground rice, 1 quart milk, 3 ounces loaf 
sugar, 1 ounce fresh butter. Mix the rice to a smooth batter, with about % pint 
of the milk; then the remainder into a sauce-pan with sugar, butter, and a small 
pinch of salt; bring to the boiling point; then stir in the rice and let it boil 10 
minutes. After taking from the fire add any flavoring desired. Grease the mold 
with salad oil, and when perfectly set it should turn out easily. Garnish with 
jam, or pour around a compote of any kind of fruit just before sending to the 
table. It is best made the day before it is wanted. A nice flavoring is made by 
steeping 3 laurel leaves in the milk and taking them out before the rice is added. 

Variegated Blanc Mange. — Make 2 blanc manges — 1 white, of corn-starch, and 
1 colored, of fruit; pour a little of each of these alternately into a mold, thus 
forming different colored layers, letting each layer set before pouring on the next. 

CUSTAKDS. 

Plain Custard. — Take the yolks of 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon corn-starch, 1 cup sugar, 
beaten together. Add 2 cups boiling milk and let it cook a few minutes; then 
add a small piece of butter, flavor with vanilla and set on ice. 



DESSERTS. 267 

Custard No. 2. — Take perfectly fresh eggs, 4 if large, or 5 if small; stir them 
into 1 quart of nice sweet milk, sweeten to taste, flavor with a teaspoon of peach 
water, or extract of vanilla or lemon, and put in a pinch of salt. Rub a very little 
butter on the sides and bottom of the baking-dish. Pour in the custard, grate a 
little nutmeg over the top, and bake in a quick oven; % hour is generally long 
enough. 

Almond Custards. — Make a boiled custard with 1 pint of milk, the yolks of 4 
eggs, 4 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 saltspoon of salt. When cold, add % cup of 
finely chopped almonds and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Serve in glasses with whipped 
cream sprinkled with finely-shredded almonds. 

Apple Custard. — Take 1 pint stewed apples, sweetened and cooled; 1 pint sweet 
milk, 4 eggs, well beaten. Mix the apple, milk and eggs, put in the baking-dish, 
grate a little nutmeg over the top, and bake % hour. 

Arrow-root Custard. — Two cups of boiling milk, 3 heaping teaspoons arrow- 
root wet with a little cold milk, 2 tablespoons of sugar beaten with 1 egg. Mix 
the paste with the boiling milk, stirring briskly; take from the fire, stir in the 
egg and sugar, and then boil 2 minutes; flavor to taste and add a pinch of salt. 
This is very light and delicate, and suitable for invalids. 

Banana Custard. — Make a plain boiled custard, and when cool, pour it over 
bananas cut in thin slices. 

Fruit Custards. — Make the same as banana custard, using any kind of fruit 
desired, either fresh or canned. 

Bengal Custard. — Take 1 quart of milk, 3 tablespoons of rice flour, 3 well- 
beaten eggs, 3 tablespoons of sugar, or more if liked. Scald the milk in a double 
boiler, beat the eggs, rice flour, and sugar together, and flavor with nutmeg or 
vanilla. Bake or steam in custard-cups. If baked, place the cups in a dripping- 
pan of hot water and the cups will not be discolored. 

Boiled Custard. — Beat the yolks of 5 eggs and 3^ cup of sugar together, then 
stir them into a quart of milk. Put these in a custard-boiler, add a pinch of salt, 
place the boiler in a kettle of water and boil until it becomes thick. 

Soft Caramel Custard. — Take 1 quart of milk, y 2 cup of sugar, 6 eggs, % tea- 
spoon of salt. Put the milk on to boil, reserving a cupful. Beat the eggs and 
add the cold milk to them. Stir the sugar in a small frying-pan until it becomes 
liquid and just begins to smoke. Stir it into the boiling milk; then add the 
beaten eggs and cold milk and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. 
Set away to cool. Serve in glasses. 

Chocolate Custard.— Use % K>- Baker's prepared cocoa to 1 quart milk. Mix 
the milk and scraped chocolate to a thick paste. Boil 15 minutes; while warm 
stir in 3 tablespoons sugar, and set it away to cool. Beat 8 eggs well, and stir 
into this mixture. Bake in cups. It may be served with a macaroon on top of 
each. 

Cocoanut Custard. — One quart milk, yolks of 4 eggs, 6 tablespoons of sugar, 2 
tablespoons corn -starch and 1 teaspoon vanifla flavoring. Put milk, sugar and 
eggs on the stove in a kettle of hot water, or use a double boiler; when the milk 
begins to simmer add the corn-starch dissolved in a little cold milk; boil 3 min- 
utes. When cool add the flavoring and cover the top with grated cocoanut. 

Custard Float. — Put 4 large tablespoons of chocolate in 1 quart of milk, 
dissolve it well, and heat it in a double boiler; add the well-beaten yolks of 4 eggs, 
% cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon of corn-starch, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; boil about 
as long as corn-starch custard, and then put on ice to cool. When ready to serve 



268 DESSERTS. 

pour into a glass dish, and put the well-beaten whites of the 4. eggs on top. It 
will be relished by those who like chocolate. 

Lemon Custard. — Take 1 pint of fresh milk, 1 lemon, ^ cup sugar, yolks of 4 
eggs. Put the milk to scald in the double boiler, add the grated rind and strained 
juice of the lemon to the sugar; beat the yolks of eggs stiff, then mix with the 
sugar and lemon, and stir it into the milk when scalding hot; take it from the fire 
immediately as it must not boil. When it has cooled a little fill it into the cus- 
tard-cups. The white of 1 egg and 2 tablespoons of sugar may be made into 
frosting and a portion placed on each custard. 

Rennet Custard. — Heat 1 quart of milk until it is lukewarm; add 2 tablespoons 
of rennet (see our recipe for preparing it, although it can be bought at the stores), 
2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 4 tablespoons of sugar; stir the ingredients 
gently together; as soon as they are mixed pour the custard immediately into the 
bowl in which it is to be served. Set it on the ice as soon as it is cool, and serve 
it for dessert, with preserves or cream and sugar. It will be firm in about 2 
hours, and should be served soon after. 

Ost Eaka (of Sweden). — This is rennet custard served with cinnamon and 
cream. 

Custard Souffle. — Use 2 cups milk, 2 tablespoons butter, X CU P sugar, 4 eggs, 
2 teaspoons of flour, 1 teaspoon oLvanilla. Scald the milk in a double boiler, and 
when hot add the yolks of the eggs well beaten with the sugar and flour; take 
from the fire as soon as it begins to thicken, and stir in the butter; beat the 
whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and cut it into the custard lightly, and bake 
% hour in a slow oven. Serve as soon as taken from the oven. 

Steamed Custard. — Take 5 eggs (throw out the yolks of 2, and beat), 3 table- 
spoons of sugar, a pinch of salt, a chip or two of lemon or orange, and a little 
vanilla. Scald 1 quart of milk, take off the scum, and pour it on the beaten eggs. 
Set it to steaming in a close covered vessel, and steam 5 or 6 minutes; then set on 
ice. 

Tapioca Custard. — Take 1 quart of fresh milk, 2 eggs, ^ cup of pearl tapioca, 
' % cup of white sugar. Soak the tapioca over night, and the next morning drain 
off all the water while the milk is scalding in a double boiler; when the milk is 
hot, add the tapioca and let it simmer 10 minutes; beat the sugar and eggs 
together, and add to the milk and tapioca; flavor with cinnamon, vanilla or nutmeg. 
Tomato Custard. — Peel and stew until thoroughly cooked 1 quart of ripe 
tomatoes; strain through a sieve to remove the seeds; beat 3 fresh eggs very light 
and add them to the strained tomatoes with a teacup of white sugar, a pinch of 
salt, butter the size of an egg, and a little nutmeg. Bake in a quick oven 15 or 
20 minutes. This is nice served hot or cold. 

White Custard. — Boil 2 pints of new milk with some cinnamon and a few bitter 
almonds; beat to a paste with rose-water, a few sweet almonds, and add to the 
custard. Thicken it to the taste with a little flour or arrow-root previously 
rubbed down with water or milk; sweeten and flavor to taste. 

Various Custards. — Those without experience should adhere closely to the 
recipes given, but cooks with a little experience can produce a variety of custards 
by varying the flavors used, leaving the body of the custard the same. Oranges 
cut fine (after being peeled and seeded) can be used; so can canned or candied 
fruits, chopped almonds, grated cocoanut, chocolate, caramels, macaroons, etc., 
thus making various custards. An ingenious cook can devise many changes, and 
make attractive dishes, and we advise experienced cooks to try it. 



DESSERTS. . 269 

CREAMS, FLOATS, ETC. 

Chocolate Creams. — Take 3 pints fresh milk, and add 2 ounces grated choco- 
late, and % cup white sugar; mix and bring to a boil; gradually add the beaten 
yolks of 3 eggs, slowly stirring it one way; add vanilla boiled in milk to flavor; 
when thoroughly mixed put into cups, place in water, and boil 1 hour. Serve 
when cold. 

Coffee Cream. — Mix % cup sugar, % cup strong coffee and 1 pint rich cream; 
whip till it is all froth; put in stem glasses, freeze, and serve in the same glasses. 

Hamburg Cream.— Grate the rind and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into \% 
cups sugar; beat the yolks of 5 eggs, put into a pan, add the sugar, and set in 
hot water, stirring all the time; when the eggs begin to cook, add the 5 whites, 
which should be beaten and ready; then remove and let cool. 

Mock Cream. — Take 1 quart of new milk, 1 fresh egg, 1 teaspoon of corn- 
starch, 1 teaspoon of white sugar. Scald the milk in a double boiler, or tin pail 
set in a kettle of boiling water. Beat the starch, sugar and egg thoroughly, and 
stir into the milk when it is scalding hot. Let it get thoroughly cold before 
serving. 

Pink Cream.— Use 3 gills raspberry syrup mixed with J^ pound of sugar and 
1 pint of thick, sweet cream. Whisk until very light, and serve in whip glasses. 

Rice Cream. — Boil 1 cup rice till tender, in new milk; add white sugar to 
whiten, pile on a dish, and spread slices of currant jelly or preserved fruit on top 
of it. Then take the well-beaten whites of 5 eggs, sweetened with powdered 
sugar, and add 1 tablespoon of rich cream and flavor with vanilla; spread this on 
top like snow. 

Tapioca Cream. — Soak 3 tablespoons of tapioca over night; boil it next day 
in 1 quart sweet milk; then stir in beaten yolks of 3 eggs and 1 cup sugar; boil all 
10 minutes. Beat the 3 whites with -3 teaspoons of sugar; flavor with vanilla, 
and stir into the other when nearly cold. 

Tapioca Nut Cream. — Soak % pound of pearl tapioca over night in 1% cups of 
cold water. Cover with 3 cups of cold water and cook in a double boiler until 
transparent, then add ^ cup of sugar, and the juice and grated rind of a lemon; 
turn into small molds. Chill and turn into a glass dish garnished with apricots 
and whipped cream, sweetened and flavored with chopped walnuts and vanilla. 

Thickened Cream. — Stir together % cup of rich milk, % cup white sugar, and 
1 wine-glass of .rose-water; add the beaten yolks of 2 eggs, and stir all into 1 quart 
of rich cream; set it over hot coals, let it just come to a boil stirring all the time; 
then take off, pour into a glass bowl, and set away to cool. Eat with any berries, 
like strawberries, or raspberries, or with sweetmeats. 

Whipped Cream. — Thoroughly whip 1 teacup of ice-cold sweet cream; then 
beat the whites of 3 eggs; add 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar and the whipped 
cream and stir lightly together. Nice with fruit puddings, or to cover slices of 
sponge cake. 

Whipped Cream No. 2. — 1 cup thick, sweet cold cream, and 3 teaspoons pul- 
verized sugar; beat to a stiff froth, and add % teaspoon lemon or vanilla. 

Apple F4oat. — Bake 3 apples (with no water around them); when done, scrape 
the pulp all out, thoroughly mix in 1 cup sugar and let it cool. Then add the 
well -beaten white of 1 egg, and beat all together 30 minutes. Form it into shape 
and pour around it a custard made of 1 quart of milk, 1 teaspoon corn-starch, 
yolks of 3 eggs, sugar to sweeten, and lemon or vanilla flavor. 

Apple Kuchen. — Make a pie-crust a trifle richer than biscuit, roll out and place 



270 DESSERTS. 

it in the bottom of the pan in which meat is roasted. Peel cooking apples, slice 
them into eighths, and place them across the pan, close together in even rows, 
leaving a small space between the rows, and pressing the inner edge of the apple 
slightly into the crust; sprinkle "A" sugar over the apple, and a little nutmeg; 
bake in the oven until the apples are cooked. This will make a simple and 
attractive dessert. 

Bird's Nest. — Take 6 apples, peel, sweeten and bake, and then cover with a 
custard made of 2 tablespoons sugar, 3 yolks of eggs, 3 cups milk, and 1 teaspoon 
of vanilla; bake till firm. 

Cheap Dessert. — Put a square cracker in a saucer, pour just enough boiling 
water on it to soften it; put a teaspoon of jelly in the center, sprinkle sugar over, 
and pour sweet cream over all. Very nice also for invalids. 

Charlotte Russe. — Beat the whites of 7 eggs to a stiff froth; whip 1 pint of 
cream and add it; add sugar and flavor to taste; pour it over sliced cake. Set 
in a cool place after making. 

Economical Dessert. — Soak 1 teacup rice; when done to a jelly add 1 teaspoon 
of currant jelly and % teacup of fruit juice; boil a few minutes; put in molds, 
and eat with cream and sugar. 

Floating Island. — Beat well the yolks of 4 eggs, add 5 tablespoons of sugar, 
and stir it into 1 quart of sweet milk; when cool, flavor and pour into a dish. 
Heap upon it the 5 well-beaten whites, to which a little sugar is added, and % 
cup jelly. Dot with bits of jelly. 

French Jellies. — Let a layer of melted jelly cool in the bottom of a mold; then 
add a layer of any kind of fresh fruit, or soft dried fruit; then add another layer 
of jelly, and so on until the mold is filled. 

Orange Float. — Take 4 cups water, the juice and pulp of 2 lemons, and 1 cup 
of sugar; bring to a boil, and add 4 tablespoons of corn-starch mixed in water; 
stir it 15 minutes and when cool pour it over 5 sliced oranges. Over the top 
spread the whites of 3 eggs sweetened, and a few drops of vanilla. Eat with 
cream. 

Layer Pudding {Brown Layer). — Take 2 cups milk, ~% cup sugar, 2 tablespoons 
scraped chocolate, and 2 rounded tablespoons of corn -starch; moisten the starch 
in a small portion of the milk, and place the remainder in a double boiler with 
the chocolate until it is scalding hot; then add the corn-starch and sugar and stir 
it constantly until it thickens; then put it in a buttered pudding dish or mold to 
cool. 

Yellow Layer. — Take 2 cups milk, % cup sugar, yolks of 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons 
of corn-starch and % teaspoon of extract of vanilla; scald the milk as above, sav- 
ing a portion to moisten the corn-starch; when the milk is hot add the egg yolks, 
corn-starch and sugar, and stir until thick; take from the fire, add the vanilla, 
and put this in the mold to cool, over the brown layer of pudding. 

Pink Layer. — Take 2 cups milk, % CU P sugar, 2 tablespoons corn-starch dis- 
solved in berry juice, or the berries may be crushed fine and added without 
straining; make like the other layers, and put this layer in the mold over the 
yellow layer. Then beat the 2 whites of eggs to a stiff froth, with % cup pulver- 
ized sugar, and place it on top. 

This pudding can be made of water instead of milk, if milk is scarce, and if 
eggs are scarce the yellow part may be colored with a little saffron instead of the 
yolk of egg, and the frosting omitted. Serve with sweet cream, or any liquid 
pudding sauce preferred. 



DESSERTS. 271 

Kiss Pudding. — Beat the yolks of 3 eggs with % cup sugar until light; add 1% 
tablespoons corn-starch wet with a little cold milk; stir in 2 cups boiling milk till 
thick and let cool. Beat the whites of the 3 eggs with % CU P sugar, spread it 
over the top, and brown in the oven. 

Lemon Jelly and Cream. — Place a mold of vanilla cream on the dish in which 
it is to be sent to the table; cut another mold of lemon jelly in pieces, or break it 
with a spoon to a quivering mass, for a garnish. Serve a portion of each to a 
person; the combined flavor is delicious. 

Dessert Puffs. — Take the well-beaten whites of 4 eggs, 2 cups cream, 2 cups 
milk, 1 cup sifted flour (heaped), 1 cup powdered sugar (scant), a little salt, and a 
little grated rind of lemon; beat them all together until very light; bake in gem 
pans, and then sift pulverized sugar over them. Eat with sauce flavored with 
lemon. 

Fruit Puffs. — Take X teacup of sugar, % teacup of milk, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons 
of baking powder, a saltspoon of salt, and flour to make a batter a trifle thicker 
than for griddle cakes; stir in a cup of seeded and chopped raisins. Butter tea- 
cups and All % ' u ^ °f batter, set the cups in a steamer, put on the cover and 
steam 1 hour. This quantity will make 6 cupfuls. Eat hot with orange sauce. 
A delicious dessert. 

Quince Snow. — Take the whites of 2 eggs, $4 CU P sugar, and 5 oz. of quince 
marmalade; put it in a dish shaped like a pyramid, and bake it a light yellow. 

Molded Snow. — Scald 3 cups of milk and mix % CU P °f corn-starch, with 1 
cup of milk, using 1 quart of milk in all. Stir the diluted corn-starch into the 
hot milk, adding also 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cook 15 minutes; then add the 
whites of 3 eggs beaten stiff and pour into a mold. Chill and serve. 

Scandinavian Rogrod.— Take 1% quarts of water and add 1% quarts of any 
acid fruit juice, like currant, and 2 heaping cups sugar, and bring to a boil. A 
little stick cinnamon tied in a bag should be dropped in and later taken out, as 
it can be used in that way often. While boiling, stir in slowly, to keep it from 
lumping, 1 lb. soaked sago, or 1% lbs. arrow-root; then boil 15 minutes, and turn 
into molds or cups to cool. Serve with sugar and cream when cold. (A favorite 
dish in Sweden and Norway.) 

Sago With Fruit. — Take 1 cup sago and soak it in half \ milk and water; 
then add 1 quart of boiling milk, stirring until it becomes thick, and let it cool. 
Put a layer of peaches, or any other fruit preferred, into a pudding dish, using a 
little sugar if needed; then put on a layer of sago; then another of fruit, and so on 
until the dish is full. Set it on ice; serve with sweetened cream. An appetizing 
dessert in warm weather. 

Fruit Tapioca. — Pick over and wash % CU P pearl tapioca; put it in 3 cups boil- 
ing water and cook 1 hour, or till soft and transparent, stirring often; add 1 scant 
teaspoon of salt, % cup" sugar, and % cup currant jelly; stir till the jelly is all 
dissolved, pour into a mold, and serve very cold with sugar and cream. Instead 
of the jelly, ^ cup lemon juice, or any acid fruit jelly may be used; or use 1 cup 
canned apricot, peach or quince. In summer 2 cups of ripe berries or small 
fruits can be used, adding more sugar. 

Turon. — Whip the whites of 4 eggs to a stiff froth; chop 7 oz. of almonds or 
chestnuts and sprinkle by degrees into the egg; work in sufficient sugar to make 
a flexible paste, stirring well the whole time. Flavor with lemon essence, and 
put into a mold. 

Fruit Trifle. — Beat the whites of 4 eggs to a stiff froth; add 2 tablespoons of 



272 DESSERTS. 

sugar, and the same of raspberry jam and currant jelly. Eat with sponge cake, 
and it is delicious. 

Sponge Biscuit for Dessert. —Take 2 cups flour, 1% cups sugar, sifted, 6 eggs, 
beaten separate, lemon flavor. Beat the whites, add the beaten yolks, then the 
lemon flavor, then the sugar; mix well and add flour last. Bake in patty-pans, 
with sugar sprinkled over the top to glaze. Serve with a rich liquid sauce. 



GELATINE PREPARATIONS. 

To prepare gelatine first soak it in a small quantity of cold water, 
and then add hot water to dissolve it; or it may be placed in the required amount 
of cold water and set on the back of the range where it will heat and dissolve 
gradually. About 1 to 1% cups of cold water to the ounce of gelatine is the right 
proportion. Remember that gelatine should not boil, and never needs cooking. 
It is a good plan to strain it, after it is dissolved, through a fine strainer. Gelatine 
can be used most satisfactorily in jellies, blanc manges, creams and ices. Never 
use more than will suffice to make a jelly strong enough to retain its form when 
turned out of the mold. More is needed in summer than in winter, a scant ounce 
being sufficient in summer for 1 pint of liquid, while a little over % ounce will do 
in winter — this being the rule for jellies, while creams require a little less. It is 
best to set them on ice, when possible, as soon as they are ready. Molds should 
be buttered or oiled to facilitate taking the jellies from them; or they may be 
wet with cold water before filling. If jellies stick to the molds, set them for a 
moment in hot water, and they can be easily removed. 

Gelatine is prepared from the skin and bones of animals. It requires a careful selec- 
tion of materials and cleanly preparation, to obtain a wholesome product. The use of 
white of egg to clarify the jelly is not needed now, as was formerly the case, because the gel- 
atine isclarified duringthe processof manufacture. The changesof opinion regardingthe 
nutritive value of gelatine are interesting. In the 18th century gelatine was considered 
the most nourishing constituent of meat. About the middle of the 19th century the French 
Academy of Science made a special investigation of the subject, and as a result a complete 
change of opinion took place. It was shown that gelatine alone could not sustain life, a 
reaction occurred, and very mistakenly all food value was denied it. Further experiments, 
however, have put it in its right place, and it is now admitted that while it cannot sustain 
life alone, it has some value as food, but it must hold a subordinate place, and it is only 
valuable when eaten with other things which supply the elements which it lacks. It has 
some slight value in convalescence, although very much less than many people imagine. 
When pure it is tasteless and devoid of flavor. 

Isinglass was formerly obtained from the swimming bladder of the sturgeon and came 
from Russia, but now it is obtained from many other fish and comes from South America, 
the East Indies, Canada, etc. The best is almost colorless, is free from fish odor, taste and 
smell, and dissolves freely in any warm liquid. Chemically there is little difference 
between isinglass and gelatine, and what we say about the nourishing properties of gelatine 
applies equally to isinglass. Tests. Alittlepure isinglass put into cold water swells, and 
becomes soft, white and opaque, while gelatine will become transparent and glass-like. In 
hot water isinglass dissolves with little or no residuum, while gelatine leaves a considerable 
deposit. In vinegar, isinglass swells into a jelly and all trace of its structure is soon 
destroyed, while gelatine hardens and retains its form. These are the best tests for distin- 
guishing between them. 

Jelly of Different Colors. — This can be prepared by having jelly of the desired 
colors prepared separately; then put a little of one in a mold, let it cool; then 
pour in a little of the other and let that cool, and so on, allowing each layer to 
set before putting in the next. Blanc Mange and jelly can be combined thus 
very prettily. 

Almond Blanc Mange. — Put an ounce of gelatine to soak in a teacup of cold 
water; set on the stove where it will heat gradually and dissolve. Blanch 24 
sweet almonds, and pound them in a mortar; mix with 1 pint of milk and 1 pint 
of cream, scald the mixture in a double boiler, or tin pail set in a kettle of boiling 
water; sweeten to taste, add the dissolved gelatine, stir thoroughly, and pour into 
a mold to set. 

Bananas in Jelly. — Prepare the gelatine, sweeten it, and when cool put a layer 
of sliced bananas and oranges in the bottom of a prepared mold or glass dish, 
then pour on a little of the gelatine, let it set, and then put in another layer of 



DESSERTS. 273 

fruit, and so on alternately until the dish is full; set on ice till ready to serve. 
Bananas and strawberries can be used the same way. For a variety, soak the 
gelatine in cold water, and then dissolve it in hot lemonade; then use it with the 
fruit as above. 

Chocolate Charlotte Russe. — Cover 1 ounce of gelatine with cold water, shave 
3 ounces of Baker's prepared cocoa, and mix it with 1 pint of sweet cream and 
the gelatine. Put it in a porcelain kettle over a slow fire, and stir it until it boils 
and is well mixed. Beat the yolks of 8 eggs and whites of 4 together until very 
light; then, stir them in the mixture, with % lb. of white sugar; simmer it over 
the fire but do not let it boil; pour it in a bowl and whip it to a strong froth. 
Having lined your pans or molds with spongecake fill them with the mixture and 
set them on ice, or in a cool place. 

Charlotte Russe (Without Eggs).— Soak 2 tablespoons of gelatine in a little 
cold milk 2 hours. Take 2 coffee-cups cream, 1 teacup milk; whip the cream stiff 
in a large bowl; set on ice. Boil the milk and pour gradually over the gelatine 
until dissolved, then strain; when nearly cold add the whipped cream, a spoonful 
at a time. Sweeten with pulverized sugar, and flavor with vanilla. Line a dish 
with lady-fingers or sponge-cake; pour in the cream and set in a cool place to 
harden. 

Calf's Foot Jelly. — Boil 2 calf's feet in 4 quarts of water until it is reduced to 
1 quart; strain, let it get cold, and take off the fat; then add the well-beaten 
whites of 7 eggs, the juice of 4 lemons, and 1 cup of sugar; mix thoroughly, and 
boil, with constant stirring, for about a minute, and strain through a bag of 
flannel. 

Cider Jelly. — Take 1% oz. gelatine, the juice of 3 lemons and the grated rind 
of 1; add 2 cups cold water and let it stand 1 hour; then add 1% lbs. loaf sugar, 3 
pints boiling water, and 1 pint boiled cider; put into molds, and set in a cool place. 

Coffee Jelly. — Take 2 cups sugar, 2 cups strong coffee, 3 cups boiling water, 
and 1 box gelatine. Soak the gelatine in cold water, then put the boiling water 
on it; then stir the coffee and sugar in it, and place in molds. Eat it with whipped 
cream. Whipped cream piled around it makes it a very elegant dish. 

English Cream Jelly. — Mix 8 beaten egg yolks with 10 spoonfuls of sugar and 
1 of Royal vanilla flavoring. Stir this into 1 quart of milk, and stir over the fire 
till it thickens. Strain, and stir occasionally till cool. Having soaked 2 ounces 
gelatine in a pint of cold water, add to it 1 pint of boiling water, and, when dis- 
solved and smooth, strain into the cream and put into wet molds. 

For Chocolate Cream proceed as above, omitting the vanilla, and adding J£ lb. 
of melted chocolate. Cooled in layers, with yellow cream, it makes a very hand- 
some dish. 

Gooseberry Cream. — Take off the tops and stalks from % CU P of gooseberries, 
and stew them in 1 plump half cup of sugar in }4 CU V °f water; then pulp through 
a sieve. Melt 1 oz. gelatine in % cup of milk. Whip 1 cup cream well and stir 
lightly in with the pulp; add the gelatine and milk-, and stir till nearly cold. Put 
into a mold and cool. 

Lemon Gelatine.— Use 1 box of gelatine covered with 1 pint of cold water; let 
stand }4 hour; add 3 pints boiling water, 2 pints of sugar and the juice of 4 
lemons; let stand until all is dissolved, strain and put in a mold. 

Lemon Jelly. — Place J^ box gelatine in a pint of cold water, and set it on the 
stove where it will heat and dissolve gradually. When dissolved, add another 
pint of hot water, and sugar and lemon juice to taste — about 2 lemons, if small. 



274 . DESSERTS. 

will suit the taste of most people, but the more lemon juice, the more sugar. 
Make it the day before using, and set in the ice-chest to harden; serve with thick 
whipped cream. Mock cream may be served with it if liked. 

Macedonian Jelly. — Put 2 ounces of gelatine in 3 pints of cold water and place 
it on the stove, where it will heat gradually and dissolve. Add to the hot gela- 
tine the strained juice of 2 lemons, and sugar to taste. Cool a little of the jelly in 
a mold by setting it on ice; when solid, add a layer of nicely-washed Zante cur- 
rants, seeded raisins, and stoned dates, then cover the fruit with more of the warm 
jelly; harden again on the ice, and repeat the process until the mold is full. Fresh 
grated, or dessicated cocoanut, may be used instead of fruit, if preferred. 

Orange Cream. — Squeeze the juice from six oranges and 1 lemon; strain it, 
and put it into a sauce-pan with 1 oz. isinglass; add enough water to make in all 
1% pints. Rub sugar enough to sweeten to taste, on the orange and lemon rind, 
add it to the other ingredients, and boil all together about 10 minutes; strain 
through a muslin bag, and when cold beat up with 1 cup sweet cream; put it in 
a wet mold, and set in a cool place to harden. 

Orange Jelly. — For delicious orange jelly, which does not require boiling, take 
4 good-sized oranges, grate the rind of 2 and use the juice and pulp of 2 lemons; 
take )4 DOX °f gelatine, and soak it in 1 cup of cold water; sweeten to suit the 
taste, and put with the juice of the fruit, and add % of a pint of boiling water. 
Strain into molds. 

Orange Jelly {French). — Swell 2 oz. of gelatine in 2 quarts of cold water, with 
12 spoonfuls of sugar, and the whites of 2 eggs beaten to a froth; strain 
through a wet napkin into an earthen dish; add the rind of 4 very fair oranges, 
pared very thin; cover, and partly cool; add the juice of 8 oranges and 2 lemons; 
strain, and mix with the other ingredients. A few drops of yellow coloring is an 
improvement. It is then ready for cooling. 

Peach Cream. — Cut the contents of a can of peaches into very small pieces; dis- 
solve % a box of gelatine by heating it slowly, on the back of the range, in a 
coffee-cup of cold water; then mix the fruit and gelatine, and when partly cooled, 
beat a pint of sweet cream until stiff; add sugar to taste. Mix all together and 
pour into a mold to harden. 

Pineapple Cream. — Peel and shred a pineapple, add % cup of powdered sugar 
and the juice of a lemon, beat till stiff 1 cup sweet cream, dissolve 1 oz. isinglass 
in a little hot water; mix all together lightly and pour into a mold; serve cold. 

Pineapple Jelly. — (1) Slice pineapple thinly, sprinkle it with sugar, and let 
stand 2 or 3 hours; make a stiff jelly with gelatine and when cool enough to begin 
to thicken put a layer of the pineapple in a glass dish, cover it with the jelly and 
when it sets add more fruit, and so on alternately until the dish is full; then 
set on ice. Serve with whipped cream. (2) For a variety alternate layers of 
pineapple and sliced orange can be used, sprinkling on lemon juice and sugar; 
serve cold without cream. 

Prune Jelly. — Soak 1 lb. of prunes in 1 quart of water 3 hours; drain them, 
and strain the water in which you soaked them; put it on the range, with 1 lb. of 
sugar, and let it boil 3^ hour. Remove the stones from the prunes and put them 
into the boiling syrup, and boil it up again; have % box gelatine which has been 
soaked in a little cold water and stir it into the boiling prunes. Pour into wet 
molds, and set to harden in a cold place. Serve with sugar and cream, or whipped 
cream. If desired for a variety the juice of 2 oranges and that of 2 lemons, with 
2 tablespoons of sugar, can be added with the gelatine, 



DESSERTS. 275 

Rice Cream. — Thicken a pint of new milk with rice flour to the consistency of 
cream; sweeten and flavor to taste. Beat the whites of 2 eggs to a stiff froth. 
Put % ounce of gelatine to ^ pint cold water; when well soaked place over the 
fire until the gelatine is dissolved. When cold beat to a froth with an egg-beater 
and mix with an egg. This is excellent for inflammation of the bowels. 

Russian Jelly. — Dissolve 3 ounces of gelatine in 5 cups of cold water, by plac- 
ing it over a moderate heat; when warm and thoroughly dissolved, add the juice 
of 2 lemons, and sugar to taste; stir all together until well mixed, and the sugar 
melted; flavor with extract of anise seed, strain, and when nearly cold beat to a 
froth with an egg-beater, then pour into a mold, and place in the ice-chest to 
harden. A little raspberry, or other fruit juice may be used for coloring, if 
preferred. 

Russian Cream. — The Jelly. — To 1 package of gelatine addl pint of cold water. 
When dissolved add 1 pint of hot water, 2 cups of sugar, juice of 6 lemons. Stir 
slowly until well dissolved, then strain into molds. The Cream. — Cover 1 package of 
gelatine with cold water. When dissolved add 1 cup of new milk, 1 cup sugar; 
heat to boiling point, stirring frequently; then set away to cool. Whip 1 quart of 
thick cream until light, beat the whites of 6 eggs, and add both to the mixture; 
when cool flavor with vanilla. Place the jelly in the bottom of the molds, and 
when stiff and cold add the cream; turn out of mold and serve in slices. 

Strawberry Jelly. — Mash a quart of strawberries, add a coffee-cup of water, and 
let them stand where they will become hot, but not boil, while % a box of gela- 
tine, in a pint of cold water, is gradually dissolving and heating, on the back of 
the range. Strain the strawberry juice into the gelatine, and add sugar to taste; 
place it in a mold to harden in the refrigerator. The juice of half a lemon can 
be added if desired, and it can be served plain, or with whipped cream alone, or 
with whipped cream and sponge cake. The juice of other berries like raspberries or 
currants can be used if desired, sweetening to taste. 

Spanish Cream. — Put % of a box of gelatine in 1% pints of milk and soak 1% 
hours; then simmer slowly, and add the yolks of 3 eggs beaten with 1 cup sugar; 
add a pinch of salt and any flavoring desired. Let the mixture cool a little, and 
add the 3 well-beaten whites; turn in glasses or custard-cups, and serve cold. 

Snow Pudding. — Use 1 pint water, 1 cup sugar, juice of 1 lemon, % package 
of gelatine; dissolve and strain into cups or molds, enough for each person; let stand 
until partly cool. Beat the whites of 2 eggs stiff, and stir a portion into each cup 
with a fork; it will look exactly like snowflakes all over the pudding. With the 
yolks of the eggs make a thin custard for sauce. Put the molded pudding into 
sauce plates, and pour the custard around each when served. Good for Sunday 
dinner, as it can be made Saturday and kept in a cool place, and is better than 
when first made. 

Velvet Cream. — Soak ^ box gelatine in 1 cup warm water, adding the grated 
rind and juice of 2 lemons and 2 cups sugar; heat and stir till it dissolves, but do 
not let it boil; when nearly cold, but before it begins to stiffen, add the cream 
and beat thoroughly together until stiff; then pour into molds, and set ou ice to 
harden. Half fill the molds first with nice strawberries, if desired, for a variety. 
Vanilla Cream. — Soak 1 ounce of gelatine in cold water 1 hour, drain and dis- 
solve in a little hot water. Thoroughly beat the whites of 6 eggs and beat in 1 
quart of whipped cream, add sugar to sweeten, and flavor with 1% teaspoons of 
vanilla; then add the gelatine, beat until it begins to thicken and pour into molds. 
Serve very cold with cream, 



ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND 
SHERBETS. 

Ice creams and ices can be easily prepared at home, and without much expense 
or labor. Many people do not realize how easily many wholesome and attractive 
dishes can be prepared in this way. 

Cream. — Cream which is skimmed off of milk after it has stood 12 hours is 
called single cream; that which is taken off at the»end of 24 hours is called double 
cream, and that taken off at the end of 36 hours is called butter cream. The 
best double cream, and which can all be whipped to a stiff froth, is obtained by 
letting "single cream" stand 12 hours, and then taking off the richer part. The 
best cream to use is "double cream," the next best is "single cream." If any 
milk is used it is apt to give the ice cream a mushy, snowy taste, because the 
water it contains will freeze into coarse crystals, and it melts quicker than when 
pure cream is used. Gelatine is sometimes added to such cream to give it firm- 
ness and disguise the milk. There are many so called ice creams made with corn- 
starch, etc., without using any cream at all; of course real cream is superior to any 
substitute, but for economy's sake the substitutes are of ten used. The more water 
and less cream used, the easier ices are frozen. When short of cream it is well to 
remember that to add a little, if not more than % teacup, is always better than to 
use none. 

Condensed Milk can be used by mixing it with scalded milk (1 can of con- 
densed milk to 1% quarts of scalded milk) making it into a thick custard, and 
freezing it; flavor to taste, but rather highly. 

Sugar. — Double refined or sifted white sugar is the best to use. See what we 
say about eggs in the introduction to our article on "Cake." Ice cream should 
seem quite sweet before freezing, as when frozen it seems less so. 

Arrow-root, etc. — .A little arrow-root added to the plainer creams gives them a 
smooth consistency, but the best creams are made without it. Arrow -root is more 
delicate and better to use than corn-starch or flour in creams. 

Ice. — The best ice to use is snowy ice which is full of air-holes, and is readily 
penetrated by the salt. The ice is most readily broken up by putting it in a 
coarse bag or coffee-sack, and pounding it with an ax or wooden mallet until it is 
broken into pieces about as large as walnuts. The finer it is broken the faster it 
melts. Snow makes an excellent substitute for ice, and in winter can readily be 
used. Pack it firmly into the freezer, add enough water to make it into a thick 
mush, and then put in the salt. The proportion is about 2 to 3 parts snow or ice, 
to 1 part salt. It is not necessary to draw off the water as fast as the ice melts, 
but wait until it floats the ice. 

Salt. — The best salt to use is Turk's Island salt; rock salt is next. For the 
first freezing, have it coarsely ground, and have it in small lumps for the "packing 
down" after the freezing is done. Fine table salt melts the ice too rapidly and is 
not suitable. When through with a freezer, any salt left in it may be drained, 
dried, and used again. 

Canned fruits, etc., when used in creams, should be opened an hour before 
using, and turned into a pitcher to aerate; this improves their flavor very much. 

For extracting lemon juice a glass squeezer is best. If a metal one is used, 
do not let it stand a few minutes, and then use it again without washing, as the 
acid will attack the metal, and so taint the flavor. 

Orange juice can be extracted, without any bitter flavor, by cutting the orange 
in two, removing the pulp with a teaspoon, and straining it through a piece of 
clean cheese cloth. 

Flavoring. — Ice creams should seem quite highly flavored before being frozen, 
as after freezing they will seem less so. 

The Freezer. — Buy a freezer larger than you actually need to hold the cream 
to be frozen, Cream is better if there is room allowed for air, and this is espe- 



ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 277 

tsially true of sherbets and water ices; besides this the cream expands 3^ to %" in 
freezing, so that it is better not to fill the can more than % full. Less ice and 
salt are required in proportion to their contents by large than by small freezers. 

When not in use, the can of a freezer should be kept uncovered. After being 
used it should be cleaned, scalded, and thoroughly dried before being put away. 

Freezing the Cream. — Before beginning to freeze ice cream let it stand in the 
freezing-can, packed with ice, but covered only with gauze, until it is thoroughly 
chilled; if this is done it will freeze more readily and take less ice, and, also, if not 
cooked, it is apt to become granular, or curdle, if the attempt is made to freeze it 
while warm or lukewarm. 

There are many freezing-machines on the market which are nearly equal in 
value, and less ice is required by them than by an open pail. Directions for using 
the different machines are furnished with them, and we advise those who can do 
so to get a good freezer of some kind. Those, however, who have no freezer can 
make ices by using a tin pail with a close cover, and setting it in a larger pail 
which holds the ice and salt. First, pack in solidly a layer of broken ice about 3 
inches deep, then set in the pail containing the ice-cream mixture, and pack the 
ice and salt around it; next sprinkle on a layer of salt, then about 3 times as 
much ice, distributing it evenly, and packing it down firmly, then more salt, and 
so on until the freezer is full, covering it over the top also, and then cover it all 
over with an old carpet or blanket. After letting it chill for about an hour, open 
up the can, scrape the frozen cream from the sides, and beat all together thor- 
oughly until it is smooth; the quality of the cream depends on doing this thor- 
oughly; then turn off the brine, put on fresh ice and salt, covering it over the 
top, lay onthe carpet, and leave for 2 or 3 hours until frozen. The can holding 
the mixture should have a tight lid, so that not a drop of salt or brine can get 
into the cream. 

A little ice cream for the use of an invalid can be put in a baking powder can 
or tin pail, packed in salt or ice for 10 minutes, then opened and stirred well, then 
let stand until the freezing is complete. 

Do not allow ice cream or fruit ices to stand long in tin or copper vessels, cer- 
tainly not when above the freezing point, for the melting cream will decompose 
and develop lactic acid, which will attack the metal, producing a poisonous com- 
pound. 

Packing Down. — Newly-frozen ice cream is apt to be mushy, and lacks flavor 
and consistence, so that after being frozen, it is best to pack it down and let it 
ripen 4 or 5 hours before it is served. In packing down ice cream which is to be 
kept some time, turn off the brine, pack in some coarser ice and salt, and cover 
with an old carpet or blanket wet in the brine. Keep the carpet wet by rewet- 
ting it from time to time, as then much less ice is needed because the evaporation 
keeps it cold. As long as any ice lasts the temperature will not rise above the 
freezing point. 

The principles involved in making ice cream are as follows : There are various freezing 
mixtures known and occasionally used, some of which we give elsewhere, but for our pres- 
ent purpose the ingredients almost universally relied on are ice and salt. All freezing 
mixtures have some solid substance which turns to a liquid, and in so doing it absorbs heat 
from the surrounding substances and so reduces their temperature, and this is the philo- 
sophical principle underlying the whole process. The ice is submitted to the action of the 
salt, which has a great affinity for it and melts it very rapidly, and the ice in turning to 
water withdraws heat rapidly from the various preparations of cream, etc., which are 
buried in it, and so reduces their temperature rapidly and freezes them. But from this it 
will be clear that the cream will not freeze until the ice around it begins to melt. So also 
the smaller the pieces of ice the more readily the salt will act on them and melt them. It is 
a mistake to think that the freezing needs to be done in a cold place. In a warm room the 
ice melts more rapidly, and so draws the heat more rapidly from the mixture submitted to 
its action; but if the cream is kept after being frozen, it should be in a cool place, of 
course. 

The object of the continual stirring of the ice cream is to keep the ingredients from 
separating, and the heaviest of them from settling to the bottom, while any cream which 
washes up against the side of the can and freezes must be scraped off and mixed in with the 
balance of the contents. Unless the contents are thoroughly stirred before the freezing 
takes place the whole will be spoiled; either lumps will form, disfiguring and discoloring it, 
or the sugar will settle to the bottom, leaving the contents imperfectly sweetened. It is a 
mistake to turn the dasher of a freezing machine rapidly, as that prevents the cream from 
being smooth; turn it fast enough to accomplish the above objects, but that is all. 

Molds. — Molds are prepared to form the cream into many fanciful shapes. If 
they are used, after freezing the ice cream press it into them firmly, so that there 
are no air spaces, have the cover firmly pressed down, wrap buttered paper around 



278 ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 

the joint, and bury them in ice and salt. When ready to serve them, wash off 
the brine, take off the cover, turn the mold on to a dish, and the ice cream will 
soon slip out if the room is warm. The molds are sometimes dipped in warm water 
to loosen the contents, but this is apt to melt the cream too much, and make it 
run down the sides and disfigure it. 

If it is desired to use 2 colors, freeze them separately, fit a piece of card-board 
into the mold which is to be filled, pack in 1 kind of ice cream on each side, with- 
draw the card-board, and set the mold on ice. 

Coloring lees. — For coloring ices and creams, caramel can be used, or the 
amber color and some of the others mentioned under "Colorings for Frostings" 
(which see). Only vegetable colors should be used. 

Simple Syrup can be made by putting 2 lbs. of the best lump sugar to 1 quart 
of water; stir occasionally till it dissolves, bring to a boil, take off any scum as it 
rises, draw to the side of the fire, and let it boil gently. If boiled too fast it 
troubles an inexperienced operator, as it will candy. Should this happen, add 
more water and boil again till the requisite strength is attained. Test it by let- 
ting a drop fall into a glass of cold water; if it retains its shape it will answer. 
When cold, bottle and keep for use. It will keep any length of time, and can be 
used for many purposes. 

When too much syrup is present a mixture will not freeze readily. The rem- 
edy is to thin it with a proportionate quantity of liquid, according to the descrip- 
tion of ice you are making. 

PHILADELPHIA ICE CREAM. 

Philadelphia ice creams, so-called, are those which are made without eggs 
(those made with eggs are called Neapolitan creams) and many people prefer the 
Philadelphia creams to any others, as they have a light, snowy texture. 

Methods of Making. — There are 2 ways of making ice cream — one is by cook- 
ing and the other is without cooking the cream and sugar. It is a little less work 
to make it without cooking, and the texture is white and snowy, but cooking not 
only prevents any tendency to curdling, but also gives the cream more richness 
and body. If the cream is cooked, put it in a double boiler, set it on the stove and 
stir often ; take it off the stove when the water in the outer pan boils, add the 
flavors and sugar, stirring it till the sugar dissolves; let it stand a few minutes, 
strain, and put it into the freezing-can and freeze. 

If uncooked cream is used, it is a good plan to whip a part of it, chill it, and 
stir it in just as the freezing cream is beginning to set. 

The cooked cream is rich and solid; the uncooked is snowy and lighter in 
color, and when part of the cream is whipped it is very white and delicate, and 
suitable to put in molds to decorate the table. 

Philadelphia Ice Cream No. 1. — Take 1 quart of rich cream, 1 heaping cup 
(which equals % lb.) of sugar, and flavor to taste. This makes the simplest form 
of ice cream, and these materials form the basis, and the above are the standard 
proportions for all the best Philadelphia ice creams. 

We give 1 or 2 other recipes for Philadelphia ice cream which are sometimes 
used: 

Philadelphia Ice Cream No. 2. — Mix together 2 quarts of thick cream and 1 
pint of milk and % lb. of sugar; dissolve 1. tablespoon of soda in 4 tablespoons of 
hot water, cool it, and add to the cream just before freezing. Flavor to suit 
the taste. 

Recipe No. 3. — Heat 3 cups of fresh milk, and when it comes to the scalding- 
point have ready 2 tablespoons of arrow-root dissolved in a little cold milk and 
add it; when of the consistency of cream, remove from the fire and cool, stirring 
frequently to prevent lumping; add this custard to X% quarts of well-whipped 
cream, and 1% cups sugar; flavor to taste and freeze. 



ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 279 

NEAPOLITAN ICE CREAM. 

Method of Making. — To make cooked Neapolitan cream, proceed as fol- 
lows: Beat the yolks of eggs, add the sugar, and beat again; then stir in the 
well-beaten whites and mix all into the cream. Cook it over a good fire, in a 
double boiler, with continual stirring, until a knife-blade dipped into it will be 
slightly coated without its running, but do not let it curdle; then remove from 
the fire, strain, let stand until cold, and put into the freezing-can. This method 
is best suited for caramel, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and nut ice creams. Should 
the custard curdle while being cooked do not throw it away, as if well frozen, it 
will come out smooth. 

There is a simple rule with regard to the use of sugar in these creams which it 
will be convenient to know. Use % lb. (or 1 heaping cup) of sugar to sweeten each 
quart of cream; 2 quarts of cream would therefore require 1 lb. (or 2 cups) of sugar, 
and so on. Anywhere from 1 to 6 eggs are used for each quart of cream, and 
more sugar is required to sweeten eggs than cream, the rule being % lb. of sugar 
to every 12 eggs— as the number of eggs vary, alter the amount of sugar to cor- 
respond; thus 1 quart of cream and 6 eggs would require % lb. of sugar, and 
so on. 

Neapolitan Ice Cream No. 1. — Take 6 eggs, 1 quart of cream, % lb. of sugar; 
flavor to taste and prepare it as directed in the above paragraph. This is the 
standard formula for the best Neapolitan cream made by confectioners. Various 
flavors are used, as vanilla, coffee, chocolate and caramel, and nuts may also be 
introduced, like filberts, almonds, etc., and such fruits as apricot, cherry and 
peach, thus giving variety to the cream. 

While the above is the standard formula, used by first-class confectioners, and 
it makes the richest and best cream, many other combinations are used, and the 
cooking is often dispensed with. We give 2 or 3 sample recipes. 

Neapolitan Ice Cream No. 2. — Take 1 pint of milk, the yolks of 2 eggs, 6 oz. 
of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of arrow-root; scald until it thickens. When it is cool 
add 1 pint of whipped cream and the whites of the 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth; 
flavor to taste, and freeze. 

Recipe No. 3. — Take 1 quart of rich milk or milk and cream, 4 eggs and 4 
tablespoons of sugar; beat the eggs and sugar together, stir it into the milk or 
cream, cool, flavor and freeze. 

Recipe No. 4. — Picnic ice cream. Take 3 pints of milk, 1 pint cream, V/% cups 
sugar, whites of 3 eggs beaten to a stiff froth; flavor and freeze without cooking. 
It can be made and served in 1 hour. 

VARIOUS FLAVORED ICE CREAMS. 

Variety in ice creams is produced mainly by varying the flavors. One of the 
recipes which we have given for either the Philadelphia or Neapolitan ice creams 
can be used as the basis, and by using different flavors an endless variety of 
creams can be produced. We give directions following for making many of the 
best and most popular of the flavors in use. All that is needed is to prepare the 
icecream by one of the recipes which we have previously given, and flavor it 
with any desired flavor, according to the directions given. 

Almond Ice Cream. — After blanching the almonds pound them to a paste, 
adding a little rose-water to prevent their oiling; then add it to any of the 
above icecreams for flavor. Use about 3 oz. almonds to the quart of ice cream. 
Another flavor is produced by blanching the almonds, roasting them in the 
oven to a golden brown, and pounding to a smooth paste in a mortar with a 
little sugar and cream. 



280 ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 

Baked Apple Ice Cream. -'-Use 6 good sized sweet apples to 1 quart of ice 
cream; bake the apples, pass them through a sieve, sweeten, stir it in the cream, 
and freeze. 

Banana Ice Cream. — Put 3 cups milk into a double boiler and bring to a boil; 
then add 1 heaping cup of sugar and thicken with 1 tablespoon of arrow-root dis- 
solved in cold milk; when it forms a thick custard take from the stove and cool; 
when cold, add 1 pint of cream and 6 thinly sliced bananas, and freeze. 

Bisque Ice Cream.— This is cream to which something is added to give it 
roughness, like nuts or powdered macaroons: Dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1% quarts 
of cream; add % cup caramel and % cup hickory-nut meats, chopped fine; then 
freeze. Other combinations can be used. 

Caramel Ice Cream. — Use about 3 tablespoons of caramel for each quart of ice 
cream. See our directions for making caramel. A little less sugar will be needed 
when caramel is used. This is highly esteemed by many persons. 

Chocolate Ice Cream. — Use about 4 to 5 ounces of chocolate to the quart of ice 
cream. It should be rubbed smooth in a little milk. A little vanilla is also 
added often, and a little cinnamon gives it spicy flavor; steep the cinnamon in 
warm water, and use the clear liquid for flavoring. Or, for variety, a little cara- 
mel can be used instead of the cinnamon flavor. That makes a chocolate caramel 
ice cream, and many people like it. 

Coffee Ice Cream. — Use about 4 tablespoons of very strong coffee to each quart 
of ice cream. If preferred, ground coffee can be boiled with the milk. A little 
arrow -root is sometimes added with coffee cream. 

Tea Ice Cream. — Strong tea can also be used for a flavor the same as coffee. 

Fruit Ice Cream. — Soft fruit, like raspberries or strawberries, should be 
mashed, sweetened, strained through a colander or not, as preferred, and stirred 
into the ice cream when partly frozen. Firm fleshed fruit, like peach, apricot, 
plum, etc., should be cut into small pieces, sugar added, allowed to stand until 
the sugar is dissolved, and then stirred into the cream when it is partly frozen. 

Preserved Fruit and Jams can be used instead of fresh fruit for ice cream. 
For water ices fresh fruits should always be used. If the juice or fruits are 
deficient in flavor add lemon juice. 

Fruit Juice Ice Cream. — Mix any desired fruit juice with sugar to form a clear 
syrup, and then beat it into the ice cream after it is frozen, or stir it in after 
beginning the freezing. Fruit juice should never be cooked with the cream or 
milk. Use 1 cup of the prepared juice to 1 quart of cream. 

Gelatine in Ice Creams. — Use % oz - ot gelatine to 2 quarts of custard, (soak- 
ing it in a little cold milk) and dissolve it in the boiling custard just before tak- 
ing it off the stove. The gelatine should be disguised by high flavoring; it is 
used to help the molding of thin creams. 

Lemon Ice Cream. — Grate the rind of 1 lemon into 1% cups of sugar which 
will extract the volatile oil; then add the juice of the lemon and stir in 1 quart of 
cream; strain and freeze at once or the acid will turn the cream. Or lemon 
extract can be used to flavor our recipe for Philadelphia ice cream.. 

Macaroon and Brown Bread Ice Cream. — Dry the brown bread, pound or 
crumble it, sift it through a sieve, and beat it into the ice cream when partly 
frozen. 

Macaroons can be roasted to a bright brown, crushed, sifted and stirred in in 
the same way. 

Nut Ice Cream. — Take walnuts, hazel-nuts, or similar nuts, chop fine, and stir 



ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 281 

them into the ice cream when it is partly frozen. Or they may be pounded in a 
mortar to a fine paste and then used. 

Orange Ice cream. — Use oranges same as directed for lemon ice cream. 

Pineapple Ice Cream. — To each quart of ice cream allow 1 large pineapple; 
pare, slice, cut it very fine, lay it in a deep dish and sprinkle with sugar; cover the 
dish, and let it stand 2 or 3 hours; then strain through a sieve, mashing and 
pressing out all the juice; stir it gradually into the cream, beating well. A few 
slices of pineapple can be retained unsugared, if desired, then cut into dice and 
when the cream is frozen stir them in. 

Pistachio Ice Cream. — Use ~% cup pistachio-nuts to 1 quart of cream; blanch 
the nuts, put them in a mortar and pound to a fine paste, adding a little rose- 
water, and a little sugar and cream; then add it to the ice cream. As pistachio- 
nuts are costly, almonds make a good substitute for them. 

Tutti Frutti Ice Cream. — This is an Italian name meaning simply "all fruits." 
Any kind of candied or crystallized fruit can be chopped fine and stirred into the 
ice cream when it is partly frozen; or home-made preserves, with the syrup 
drained out, and chopped up, can be used. Mix any kinds of fruit you have, or 
desire to use to get a good effect, as pineapples, plums, pears, cherries, etc. 

Vanilla Ice Cream. — Use 1 tablespoon of vanilla extractor % ounce of vanilla 
sugar to each quart of ice cream. For making vanilla sugar see the introduction 
to "Cake." It should be introduced while the cream is cooking, and fully dis- 
solve. This is one of the most popular creams. 

Macedoines. — These are formed by mixing 2 or more fruits. Those should be 
selected whose flavors harmonize, as strawberry and lemon; orange and apple; 
apricot and peach; pineapple and orange; grape and plum, etc. 

Nesselrode Pudding. — Scald in a double boiler, 1 quart of rich milk — the more 
cream it has the better; then add the yolks of 4 eggs and 1 cup sugar beaten to 
a cream, and 2 cups chestnuts which have been shelled, blanched, boiled 30 min- 
utes, and mashed to a pulp; strain, put it into the freezer, and when partly 
frozen stir in 2 cups of any fruit liked — berries, stoned cherries, currants or 
peaches — and finish freezing; it should stand 2 or 3 hours before serving, to 
ripen. 

Iced Strawberry Pudding. — Boil 2 heaping cups of sugar and 2 cups water 
together for 30 minutes, watching carefully that it does not get too thick. Beat 
the yolks of 6 eggs very light, and add to the boiling syrup; stir a moment over 
the fire, then turn into a large bowl, and beat continually until cold and thick 
like a sponge-cake batter; then add 1 pint of strawberry juice and freeze. Other 
fruit juices can be used instead of strawberry if desired, and so produce varieties. 

Mousse. — This is a French word meaning moss, and is applied to cream so 
frozen as to give it a mossy look. Make it as follows: In 1 cup cold water soak 
% box gelatine, and then set it over hot water to dissolve; whip 2 cups of cream, 
turn it into a basin, add the gelatine and % cup of powdered sugar; add the fla- 
voring, and stir carefully from the bottom towards the top until it begins to 
stiffen; have a mold ready, wet with cold water, turn in the mousse, lay on a 
piece of greased writing paper, turned greased side up, fit on the cover tightly, 
and pack in ice and salt 1 hour. Or it can be put into a freezer and frozen until 
it begins to thicken, then put in the molds, and packed in salt and ice. Flavor it 
with vanilla, or any flavoring desired, and also stir finely-chopped fruit in it if 
desired, the same as in ice cream. 

Frozen Fruit. — Cut firm-fleshed fruits like peaches, pineapples, apples, etc., 



282 ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 

into dice; grapes, plums, etc., should be stoned and chopped, but strawberries 
and raspberries need not be crushed. Add sugar to sweeten, and when that is 
dissolved put them in the freezer and freeze. If desired, a little whipped cream 
can be added when they are partly frozen, but they are delicious without it. 

Fruit Molds. — Take molds, line them with ice cream, and into the center put 
any fruit liked, cut into dice; or fill with berries, if preferred; put ice cream over 
all, press down the cover, and pack in ice and salt. Chill the fruit thus, but do 
not freeze it. 

WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 

Water ices and sherbets (sherbet means a drink) are all composed of the juice 
of fruit, sugar and water. They vary much in richness from the ordinary lemon- 
ade which has been frozen, up to those composed of equal parts of sugar and pure 
fruit juice. They have been less popular than ice cream because they not only 
become soft and spongy and melt soon on exposure to the air, but as ordinarily 
made they are often lumpy, have a gritty taste, and a texture like a stiffened 
compound of flavored water and snow. If the following method is pursued they 
can be made much like ice cream in texture, being firm, smooth and delicious. 

Method of Making Water Ices and Sherbets. — Cook the water and sugar to a 
clear syrup in a double boiler, take off the scum, strain it (using fine muslin 
cloth for the strainer), and let it cool; then add the other materials (fruit juice, 
etc.) and put all into the freezer, pack in the ice and salt, and freeze it. It will 
take rather longer to freeze than ice cream, but slowly turn the crank until the 
contents become stiff; then the can should be opened, the sides scraped down, 
and all stirred till smooth; the beaten white of 1 egg, with 1 teaspoon of pulver- 
ized sugar beaten with it, should then be added, and worked in till smooth. 
This amount of egg and sugar will be sufficient for 4 quarts of sherbet. Then 
let the brine off, pack again with ice and salt, and let stand 2 or 3 hours to ripen, 
covered with a carpet wet in brine, keeping it wet. Then open it, beat again and 
again pack down. Fruit jellies, when used, should be melted very carefully in 
water, then cooled, and frozen as just explained. 

If the granular kind of ices are preferred, the cooking should be omitted, the 
ingredients mixed and then frozen; also omit the beaten egg and sugar added 
last as above directed for finish. Some people dissolve a little gelatine and add 
it to water ices, as it makes them smooth. 

In preparing water ices remember that too much sugar prevents freezing, and 
too little makes them brittle. 

Ices are not considered very wholesome. They should not be taken at once 
after violent exercise, nor while very warm, and they are apt to retard digestion 
if taken while that is going on. 

Granites and Frappes (pronounced frap-pay) are formed by mixing the ingre- 
dients without cooking, and only about half freezing them, so that they are like 
wet snow. The ingredients used are fruit juice, sugar and water, the same as 
for water ices and sherbets. 

Orange Ice. — Take 12 fine juicy oranges, squeeze out the juice and pour a 
little boiling water on the pulp to extract the juice from that; add the juice of 2 
lemons, the grated rind of 2 oranges, l^Bbs. of sugar, and 1 quart of water; strain 
and freeze. When about half frozen add the beaten whites of 2 eggs. 

Lemon Ice can be made the same way, but may need more sugar. 

Pineapple Ice. — Mix 1 can of chopped pineapple, 2 cups sugar, and 2 cups of 
water; then freeze. Or 2 cups fresh fruit can be used instead of the canned. A 
little lemon or orange juice or both are sometimes added to improve the flavor. 
A little gelatine dissolved and strained is also added sometimes. 

Strawberry Ice. — Mix 2 cups of strawberry juice, 2 cups of sugar and 3 cups 
of cold water. Soak 1 tablespoon of gelatine in 2 tablespoons of cold water, then 
add 2 tablespoons of boiling water and when thoroughly dissolved strain and mix 
with the strawberry juice and sugar; then freeze. In winter strawberry shrub 
may be used in place of the juice and it will be nearly as good, but it should be 



. ICE CREAM, WATER ICES AND SHERBETS. 283 

colored with a little cochineal. Other fruit juices can be used instead of the 
strawberry, and thus a variety produced. 

Ginger Sherbet. — Make and freeze a lemon water ice; stir into it 4 oz. of pre- 
served ginger, cut into small pieces, and 2 tablespoons of the ginger syrup, and 
pack down. 

Lemon Sherbet. — -Take 4 cups water, 2 cups of sugar, juice of 6 lemons, and 
1 tablespoon of gelatine. The gelatine should be dissolved in part of the water, 
added to the other ingredients, strained, and frozen. 

Milk Sherbet. — Mix 1 quart of milk, 1 cup of sugar and the juice of 2 lemons; 
then freeze. 

Pineapple Sherbet. — Take 1 can of sliced pineapples, cut it in very small 
pieces, and cook until soft; add the juice of 4 lemons (strained) and 1 cup sugar; 
cool, and add ^ lb. of candied cherries cut in small pieces; add cold water enough 
to make the mixture 3 quarts. Beat the whites of 4 eggs very stiff and mix with 
the sherbet just before freezing, and freeze at once. This amount will serve 20 
persons. 

Various Sherbets. — If 2 cups of fruit juice are used to 2 lbs. of sugar and 3 
pints water, and it is cooked and prepared as directed in the "Method of Making 
Water Ices and Sherbets," very fine sherbets can be made. Raspberry, strawberry, 
currant, apple, cherry, grape and pineapple juice, all work well; or jelly can be 
used as there directed, but it takes rather more of the jelly than of the juice. 
The pulp of peach, apricot and nectarine can be used instead of the juice. The 
amount of sweetening can be altered if any of the juices require it. 

Sorbet. — Take 1 quart water and 2 cups sugar, and boil together for 20 min- 
utes; then add 1 cup orange juice, % CU P lemon juice, and 1 can of grated pine- 
apple; cool, strain, and freeze to a mush. Serve as soon as possible after freezing. 
This can be varied by substituting 1 pint of strawberry or raspberry juice for the 
other flavors. 



HOME CANDY MAKING. 

Candy can be made at home for % its cost at stores, and when so made you 
know it is pure, which unfortunately is not the case with some Of that sold by 
the trade. Ladies who delight in making cake, preserves, etc., may easily add 
this to their other accomplishments. A few failures at first should cause no dis- 
couragement, as knowledge comes by experience. As candy will absorb moist- 
ure from the air in damp weather, which interferes with its hardening, choose 
dry weather to make it. 

The Materials and Tools. — Confectioner's powdered sugar is the best to use 
for uncooked candies, as it is prepared expressly for this purpose. It is a kind of 
powdered sugar much finer than the ordinary powdered sugar. When the con- 
fectioner's sugar is not easily obtained the ordinary powdered or fine granulated 
can be used. For the kind of sugar to use for cooked candies see what we say 
under "Fondant." 

Have nuts or fruit thoroughly dry before using them in candy. Slightly salt- 
ing most nuts before using them will improve the flavor of the candy. If almonds 
are to be pounded they will pulverize more readily if after being blanched they 
are well dried in an open oven. 

Oil, or washed butter, is the best to use in greasing tins for delicate candies 
like macaroons, kisses or ratafias, as salted butter or lard is apt to impart an 
unpleasant taste. 

Porto Rico molasses of a medium grade is best for candy; or use the best New 
Orleans molasses. 

Unsweetened chocolate can be used for caramels and similar candies, but con- 
fectioner's sweetened chocolate is better to use to dip candies in. 

Many ladies are bewildered by the list of tools and their names, but good 
results can be obtained with a small sauce-pan, and a silver spoon and fork, 
although a few other things are an advantage and can be obtained if candy is to 
be made often. The sauce-pan should not be iron, but brass, copper, tin or 
enamel will do; 2 or 3 small wooden paddles will be useful. A thermometer cost- 
ing $2.00 to $2.50 for testing sugar will be convenient if much candy is made, but 
as there are other tests it is not essential. A marble slab with a smooth top will 
be a convenience, but a large meat plate can be used for small quantities if you 
haven't that. Candy tongs and candy dippers will also be an advantage, and so 
will a stout candy hook fastened to the wall on which to pull candies. Any 
blacksmith can make such a hook, using % inch iron, about 14 inches long, bend- 
ing it into the shape of a fish hook, sharpening the point, and flattening the other 
end and boring 3 screw holes in it. Fasten it up about 5 feet from the floor. 

In making candy use a vessel deep enough to hold it when it boils up, and lift 
it from the fire when it is in danger of boiling over. Watch carefully to keep it 
from burning. 

In pulling candy have the hands well greased, throw the candy over the hook 
and pull it towards you; as a rule, take hold of the candy firmly, and make that 
move without sliding the hands over it or you will blister the hands; as soon as 
the candy seems likely to break, throw it over the hook again, and continue pull- 
ing it thus until it is white and nearly cold. 

Greasing the hands is better than flouring them when handling candy, as the 
flour is apt to unpleasantly affect its flavor. 

Coloring. — For this use vegetable colors only, and they are better prepared at 
home than when bought at the stores. For preparing various colors see "Frost- 
ing" for cakes. For amber or light brown, use a little caramel. For carmine or 
pink, use some of the cochineal. For green use more or less of the spinach green, 
according to the shade desired. For yellow use saffron, or grated orange rind, 
which is better, and so on. Only a little coloring matter is needed. 

Flavorings. — These should be selected with care. Flavorings for fondant 
should be as strong as possible and then use but little, because fondant liquifies 
so easily. Many of the flavorings given in our article on flavorings can be used, 

(284) 



HOME CANDY MAKING. 285 

The tea, Bedford, laurel and citronelle, will be found excellent. If chocolate is 
used it will be an advantage to add a little vanilla. For ordinary candies 5 cents 
worth of oil of cloves, cinnamon, wintergreen, lemon or peppermint will flavor 
50 lbs. of candy. Add flavors the last thing, or when the candy is nearly cold, as 
their strength is wasted if added while it is hot. 

Boiling Sugar. — In boiling sugar it is well to understand the different 
"degrees," as the confectioners call them, through which the sugar passes. There 
are 12 of these degrees called small thread, large thread, little pearl, large pearl, 
the blow, the feather, the soft ball, the hard ball, the soft crack, the crack, the 
hard crack, and the caramel. Let us examine this a little, but remember that in 
handling sugar skilfully much judgment is needed. Suppose we put on the 
stove 3 lbs. of sugar and 2 cups of water and stir it until it dissolves. After boil- 
ing a few minutes it will approach the first degree called thread, and as it passes 
from one degree to another quite rapidly, it must be watched closely and tested 
often, but without stirring it. 

The thread degree is known by dipping the forefinger into the syrup, or 
touching it to the syrup adhering to a small stick which has been dipped in; then 
touch the forefinger with the thumb, and draw the fingers apart; if a fine thread 
is formed which breaks at a short distance, and remains on the finger and thumb 
as a drop, it has reached the small thread. Boil a little longer, repeat the test, 
and a longer thread will be drawn, known as the large thread. This is the finger 
test. A thermometer will show about 220°. 

The pearl degree is tested the same Way. When the thread reaches from the 
thumb to the finger, without breaking, as they are drawn apart, it has reached the 
small pearl, and when it will spin across as far as the thumb and finger can be 
separated, it has reached the large pearl. Another sign is that the syrup shows 
bubbles on the surface, but this is more of a hint than a test. The thermometer 
will show 226°. 

The blow degree is tested by dipping a skimmer into the syrup, shaking it a 
little, and blowing through the holes; if small bubbles or air bladders appear on 
the other side the blow is reached. It will be 230° by the thermometer. 

The feather degree is tested in the same way, but more bubbles are produced; 
another test is to dip in the skimmer, shake it over the pan, and then give it a 
sudden flirt away from you, and the syrup will fly off like feathers, or more prop- 
erly in threads. At this stage there is not enough water left to hold the sugar in 
solution, and it will manifest a tendency to crystallize or grain. The thermome- 
ter will show 236°. 

The ball degree is tested by dipping the forefinger in a basin of ice water, 
then take a little syrup on the finger-tip and plunge it into the water again, and 
roll it with the thumb; if it forms a soft ball it has reached the soft ball (at 240°). 
This is the point at which to use it for mint cream drops. When a larger and 
harder ball is formed, which sticks unpleasantly to the teeth on being bitten, the 
hard ball degree is reached (at 248°). 

The crack degree is tested in the same way, and if the sugar adhering to the 
finger breaks with a slight noise, and does not adhere to the teeth, it has reached 
the soft crack; the thermometer will show 252°. On boiling it up again, and test- 
ing the same way, the crack degree will be reached at 260°; at 290° the syrup will 
break short and brittle, cracking like an egg-shell, and is then known as the hard 
crack degree. 

The Caramel* degree soon follows, and the syrup loses its whiteness and turns 
a light straw color. A few drops of some acid, like vinegar, lemon juice or tar- 
taric acid, should be added now to prevent its graining, and the pan should be 
quickly taken from the stove and set into cold water to prevent the syrup from 
burning, or it will soon become a dark brown and be spoiled. At the caramel 
stage the sugar will snap like glass on being dipped into water. 

Hints. — Dropping in the acid is called greasing the syrup. Do not add too 
much or you will spoil it. Confectioners have a saying that "there are 20 different 
ways to grease syrup, but none to make it grain when greasy." 

A small piece of butter put into the pan will prevent the syrup from rising 



* The name "Caramel" is derived from a Count Albuf age Caramel, of Nismes, France, 
who discovered this stage of boiling. 



286 HOME CANDY MAKING. 

over the sides, and will grease or smooth it, and thus act like the acid in keeping 
it from graining. 

For testing the syrup a small round stick is sometimes used instead of the fin- 
ger; dip it into the cold water, then into the syrup, and then into the water again. 
Have the water close by, and be sure it is cold or it will not test well. If the 
water is cold enough and the fingers are held in it till cold, then dipped into the 
hot syrup and instantly plunged into the cold water again, they will not burn 
when used to test even boiling syrup. 

Keep the sides of the pan clear from crystals of sugar by wiping them off with 
a damp sponge or flannel, and do not let the crystals drop into the pan, or they 
will cause granulation. In doing this do not let the fingers touch the syrup or 
they will be burned. One washing down is generally enough, but repeat if nec- 
essary. 

If at any time you boil the syrup a little too much, or produce a degree beyond 
what you wish for, put in a little water and boil it up again. Sugar that has 
been boiled too often, however, loses many of its good qualities. After dissolving 
the sugar do not stir the syrup; there will be danger of making it granulate if 
the pan is shaken while it is boiling. Sugar which has grained can be boiled 
again and used for taffy or cream candy. 

Do not set candy in a refrigerator to cool it, but in a cool, dry place. Air- 
tight boxes are the best in which to keep candy. 

FONDANT OK CREAM CANDIES. 

Fondant or Cream. — Fondant is the foundation for almost all French candies, 
and can be easily made by the amateur so that it will look and taste as well 
as that made by the professional. Granulated confectioner's powdered or 
coffee A sugar can be used, but coffee A more generally gives good results. For 
a trial add % teacup of water to 1 lb. coffee A sugar; let it stand an hour or so, 
and then add cream of tartar the size of a white bean, dissolving it first in a little 
cold water; now set the pan over a quick fire (be particular about that, as it is 
quite important) and stir constantly until the candy begins to boil; then stop 
stirring at once. After it has boiled a few minutes drop some of it into cold 
water to test it; try it often, and when you find the candy can be gathered up in 
the fingers in a ball which does not at once soften when held (about the soft ball 
degree) it is ready to take from the fire, and should be very carefully poured into 
a pan which has been sprinkled with cold water, and which sets level. Be sure 
the candy is not stirred from the time it begins to boil until it is poured into the 
pan, as it would grain if stirred. Greasing the pan is often advised, but it is apt 
to affect the taste of the candy, and we have found moistening sufficient. Let it 
remain without stirring or shaking until it is almost perfectly cold; then beat it 
constantly with a large spoon or paddle. In a short time the candy will get white, 
and then begin to harden; now gather it into a mass and put it on a sprinkled 
marble slab if you have it; if not, knead it in the same pan in which it cooled, but 
in either case, knead it as you would bread dough for a few minutes with the 
hands. If it is not hard enough to knead, stir as long as you can with the spoon 
and then set away awhile and it may harden sufficiently to work; if not, add a 
little water and cook again, allowing the ball to cook a little harder than before. 
Remember that sugar passes very rapidly from one degree to another, and so 
must be tried often. When cooked enough, pour it into the pan and treat as 
before directed. If not boiled long enough the fondant will be too soft on attempt- 
ing to knead it; if boiled too long it will harden too quickly, and be hard and 
lumpy. Skill in working it will come with practice and experience. This fon- 
dant can be used for dipping, and if it is cooked enough it can be made into balls 
to be dipped in melted fondant. It can also be used for "patties." It can be 
made in quantities and kept in a stone or china dish or jar, well covered with 



HOME CANDY MAKING. 287 

waxed or buttered paper to keep the air out, using it as needed; it will keep thus 
a week in cold weather. Do not scrape the sauce-pan after pouring out the 
fondant; put a little boiling water in it, seton the stove, and it can soon be easily 
washed out. 

The above fondant will form the foundation for all your French candies. It 
can be colored with cochineal, saffron, etc., and flavored with any flavoring 
desired. In working these candies there is a chance for displaying one's taste 
and skill. It can be made into rolls, and pieces sliced off, or made into cubes, or 
formed into any shape to imitate French candies. As French candies are nearly 
all made by hand, you can notice their forms and imitate them. We explain 
some of the most popular forms for these candies, and you can easily devise 
others; there is no limit to the varieties which can be produced by varying the 
flavors, using noyeau, maraschino, tea, coffee, and other flavors less common than 
the vanilla and lemon. Variegated effects are produced by using fondant, vari- 
ously colored, and so on. 

Melting Fondant. — In melting fondant put some of it in a cup and set it in a 
dish of boiling water, instead of setting it directly on the stove; when melted, the 
cup can be held in the hand while the dipping or dropping is being done. It is 
sometimes said that the cup must be kept in hot water during the dipping, 
but we have not found this necessary, for as soon as it hardens too much to use 
readily it can be set back in the hot water and softened again. If very hot, it 
may be too thin; is so, stir a minute till it thickens. If it is too thick, cautiously 
add a little hot water, 1 or 2 drops at a time, as a little too much water will spoil 
it for dipping candies, although it can be used for dipping fresh fruits. 

In using a fork for dipping candies, grease it well, and do not stick it into 
the article, but drop the ball or nut into the melted fondant and lift it out with 
the tines of the fork, using them like a spoon; rest it a second, to drain, on the 
edge of the bowl, and then deftly drop the coated candy onto the oiled paper. 

Orange or Lemon Creams. — Grate the yellow rind of an orange carefully into 
a plate, and add the juice of % an orange and % a lemon, and just a dash of tar- 
taric acid; then mix it with enough confectioner's powdered sugar to make a stiff 
paste, form it into little balls, and set away to dry for a few hours; then melt a 
little fondant in a cup as before directed, and drop in each little ball, lift it out 
with a fork, and lay it on oiled paper. If the cream gets too thin to cover the 
balls well let it cool a minute; if it gets too thick warm it again. 

Lemon Creams are made by using lemon in the same way. 

Balls. — Fondant can be melted and an equal amount of almond paste stirred 
into it; this can be formed into balls, and these balls dipped into melted fondant 
as directed for orange creams. By flavoring this melted fondant with coffee, tea, 
etc., various effects can be produced, which will be novel and attractive. 

Walnut Creams.— Melt a little fondant in a cup as before directed; color it 
with cochineal, and flavor with vanilla or not, as preferred; then drop in wal- 
nut meats, one at a time, taking them out on the tines of a fork, and placing them 
on buttered paper to harden; then repeat the operation giving each one a second 
coat. Another way is to flavor a little fondant with vanilla, form it into small 
balls, press the 2 halves of a walnut on opposite sides of each one, and set it on 
an oiled dish to harden. If the nuts are slightly salted before being used it will 
improve the flavor. 

Almond Creams can be formed by using almonds instead of walnuts. 

Chocolate Creams, — Flavor a little fondant with vanilla and roll it into balls 



288 HOME CANDY MAKING. 

the size of walnuts; then take some confectioner's sweetened chocolate, heat it, 
and mix in enough well-beaten white of egg to make a smooth, thick paste; dip 
each little ball into this paste, and lift it out with a fork and drop it on to oiled 
paper; if the white shows through, add more chocolate. Let the balls dry for 
Borne time. 

Raspberry Creams.— Mix a little raspberry jam with enough confectioner's 
powdered sugar to form a stiff paste, and roll it into little balls between the palms 
of the hands; then melt a little fondant as before directed, color it with cochineal, 
and dip in these balls as directed for "Orange Creams," giving each ball 2 coats 
if needed. 

Strawberry Creams can be made with strawberry jam the same way. 

Maple Sugar Creams. — Grate fine maple sugar and mix it with fondant to 
suit the taste, and form into any shape desired. The walnut creams are very nice 
made with maple sugar. 

Cocoanut Creams. — Take % CU P grated cocoanut, 1 cup confectioner's pow- 
dered sugar and 5 teaspoons of milk; mix, form it into little balls, let them dry 3 
or 4 hours, and dip them in melted fondant as directed for "Orange Creams." 
These are very nice covered with maple sugar fondant. 

Fruit Creams. — Take some fondant and, while it is warm, work in grated 
cocoanut, or finely-chopped citron, currants, figs, or other fruit; it can then be 
formed into balls, bars, or flat cakes, and these set aside to dry. 

Dates and cherries can be cut in two, the stones or seeds taken out, and little 
balls of flavored fondant put inside; then press them together, roll them in gran- 
ulated sugar, and set to dry. A delicious confection is also produced by putting 
salted almonds inside, instead of the fondant. Try it. 

Canned plums or figs can have the skins and stones removed, then be rubbed 
to a paste with confectioner's powdered sugar and a trifle of cream of tartar 
added; then form into balls, and dip as directed for "Orange Creams." 

Cream-Coated Fruits. — Melt some fondant, and add any flavoring desired, 
only select that which will go well with the fruit to be dipped. The fondant can 
also be colored, if desired, to suit one's fancy. A fondant which is too soft for 
making the balls or centers for candy, can be used for this purpose. Grapes 
currants, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, and other fruit, can then be dipped 
into the prepared fondant, dipping each berry separately, and laying them to dry 
on oiled paper, or set them in the little paper cases if you have them. Select choice 
fruit for this purpose. Fruit thus dipped is quite attractive for dessert or break- 
fast. Oranges also may be peeled, each carpel separated carefully without break- 
ing the skin, and then dipped in melted fondant, which is colored with grated 
orange rind, and thinned with orange juice. This process is new and good. 

Patties. — These are simply melted fondant, flavored as desired, and formed 
into drops or patties the size of a half dollar; they will be hard enough to eat in 
3^ hour. By using different flavors, as peppermint, wintergreen, etc., number- 
less varieties can be produced. 

Uncooked Cream or Fondant. — Pass 2 or 3 lbs. of XXXX powdered sugar 
through a sieve, shape it like a cone on the table, make a well in the top, put in a 
little water, work in the sugar till it is absorbed, put in a little more, and keep 
on thus doing until a smooth, stiff paste is formed. While doing this, work in a 
little vanilla or any other flavor desired. This will serve as a foundation for any 
of the candies for which "Fondant" is used, but it cannot be melted to use as a 
coating. 



HOME CANDY MAKING. 289 

By varying this uncooked cream a little a variety of fine candies can be pro- 
duced. Thus lemon creams can be made by working up the sugar with lemon 
juice and a little grated rind; then form them into creams. Or use orange juice 
and rind for orange creams. Or use any fruit juice instead of the water for 
mixing, such as pineapple, raspberry, strawberry, etc.; the flavor is thus easily 
varied. 

Cream Walnuts, Dates, Figs, Cherries, etc. — These can be made from the 
uncooked fondant as follows: Roll some of the uncooked fondant between the 
hands into a strip about 1 inch in diameter, and then cut the strip into sections 
1 inch long, and, using the hands, roll these into balls; then take each one, press 
the 2 halves of a walnut on the sides opposite each other, and put them in a pan 
in rows as fast as formed; set them aside to harden a few hours and they will be 
ready to use. To prepare cherries, Jigs or dates, take out the seeds after cutting 
them in two, put in a piece of cream, roll them in the hands, and set in rows on a 
greased dish to harden. If desired, they can be rolled in granulated sugar as fast 
as formed, to coat the surface; then set aside to harden. 

Cream Candies. — Take the whites of 1 or 2 eggs, add an equal quantity of cold 
water, and stir in enough confectioner's powdered sugar to knead well. Flavor 
to taste. 

Chocolate Creams can be made by flavoring some of this paste, forming it 
into balls, and dipping it into melted chocolate; grate the chocolate, put it in a 
dish, and set that in a pan of boiling water till melted; after dipping in the 
creams, any kind of nuts, figs, or raisins, can be pressed on top. 

A great variety of candies can be formed from this cream, as it is in reality 
only an uncooked "Fondant,"and will serve as the foundation for any of the can- 
dies previously given for which "Fondant" is used, but it cannot be melted for 
use as a coating. 

Varying the Cream. — This paste is varied sometimes by using milk instead of 
water, and by beating the egg. Take the white of egg and an equal quantity of 
milk; beat the egg, add the milk, and form to a paste with confectioner's pow- 
dered sugar as above directed; this paste when done is handled the same as the 
other paste. Gum arabic is used sometimes instead of the white of egg; a paste 
is formed by mixing the gum arabic with confectioner's powdered sugar, and the 
paste thus formed is worked up in numberless ways. There, are many slight 
changes adopted in making the paste or cream, but the results are very similar. 

Lozenges. — Wintergreen lozenges can be made of the above cream by flavor- 
ing it with wintergreen, rolling it out thin, and cutting out the lozenges with a 
little tin cutter. Various other lozenges can be produced by using different 
flavors, and they can also be tinted with different colors, if desired, for a variety. 

Bonbons. — Make a paste by working confectioner's powdered sugar into gum 
arabic water, and flavor it with vanilla; form it into balls and let them dry. Then 
dip each ball into a cream made of the beaten whites of eggs and the confection- 
er's sugar, flavored and colored with chocolate. This last cream should be thin. 
By varying the flavorings, using different colors, etc., an endless variety may be 
made. 

Cream Nut Candy. — Mix % lb» coffee A or granulated sugar in 1 teacup of 
sweet cream, and heat slowly on the stove till the sugar is dissolved; then boil 5 
minutes, and stir in % lb. of nut kernels, which should be finely grated or 
chopped; then boil 10 minutes, and pour it on to buttered plates; cut it into 
squares when partly cool; it will harden in about 2 days. 
19 



290 HOME CANDY MAKING. 

Marsh-mallows. — Take 4 oz. of the best white gum arabic, dissolve it in 1 cup 
of water and strain it; then add a full % cup of powdered sugar, set it on the 
stove, and continually stir until the mixture is about as thick as honey, and the 
sugar is well dissolved; the well-beaten whites of 2 eggs should then be added 
gradually, and stirred until the mixture becomes thinned and will not stick to the 
finger when touched; flavor to taste with lemon, rose, wintergreen or anything 
preferred. Pour it to cool into a square tin pan dusted with corn-starch. Cut 
into squares when cold, and dust each one with corn-starch. This will keep best 
in tin boxes. 

Nougat. — Make the marsh-mallow paste as above directed, and then stir in % 
lb. of almonds blanched and cut fine; set to cool as before; then cut, when cold, 
into long bars and wrap in waxed paper. Hazel-nuts, pistachio-nuts, etc., can be 
used at times for a variety. 

Cocoanut Cream Candy. — Mix the milk of 1 cocoanut and 1% lbs. coffee A 
or granulated sugar, and heat slowly until the sugar is dissolved; then boil 5 
minutes, add the grated meat of the cocoanut, and boil 10 minutes longer, stir- 
ring continually; pour on buttered plates to harden, and when it begins to 
harden, cut into squares. It will harden in about 2 days. 

MISCELLANEOUS CANDIES, ETC. 

(xlaces. — Take 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup water, and % teaspoon of cream 
tartar; boil it to the "crack" degree, that is, so that it will break when in cold 
water, and will not stick to the teeth when eaten, and set the vessel containing 
it into a basin of hot water to keep it warm; if it gets too cool while being used, 
it can be reheated twice, but it will not soften after that. Into this mixture can 
be dipped nuts, such as almonds, peanuts,, walnuts, etc., or fruits like grapes, 
cherries, dates, figs, sections or carpels of oranges, etc. Have the fruit or nuts 
dry before dipping them, and dip them one at a time. Grapes and cherries can 
be dipped in by their stems; nuts and so on, can be dropped in and lifted out on 
the well-greased tines of a fork. Lay them to dry on greased paper or pans, or on 
a sieve also greased. In damp weather the atmosphere is apt to make them 
sticky, and even in dry weather they should be kept in an air-tight jar or tin box. 
Some of the fruits are best eaten within a few hours after being prepared. 

Taffy {Lemon). — Put 1 cup of water and 1% lbs. coffee A sugar over the fire; 
stir until dissolved, then add 34 teaspoon of cream tartar; wipe down the sides 
of the pan with a damp cloth or sponge to remove the crystals, and boil until it 
reaches the "crack" degree; then turn it into shallow greased pans to cool, sprink- 
ling on 1 teaspoon of lemon extract. Mark into squares with a sharp, greased 
knife, when it is partly cold. Or, it can be turned on to a well-greased slab, and 
when the edges cool a little they should be turned in toward the center, repeating 
this every few minutes until it is cool enough to handle. Then pull it as pre- 
viously directed for pulling candy. If it is pulled, the flavoring extract is best 
sprinkled on a little at a time during the pulling. Then take it off of the hook, 
pull it into long strips, and cut these into little blocks 3 or & inches long; set them 
in a cool place on greased pans to cool. 

Vanilla Taffy can be made in the same way, but flavor with vanilla instead of 
lemon. 

Molasses Taffy. — Boil 1 quart of New Orleans molasses for 30 minutes in a 
large pan, so that it will not run over, stirring continually; then add }£ teaspoon 
baking soda, and boil it to the "crack" degree; then add 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
and pour it into shallow, well-greased pans or a platter to cool; when partly cool it 



HOME CANDY MAKING. 291 

may be marked into squares, or pulled to a bright golden color, and finished as 
directed for other taffies. 

Walnut Molasses Candy.— Make the molasses taffy as just directed, and when 
it gets to the "crack" degree, stir in all the walnut kernels it will hold (have the 
walnuts perfectly dry); pour it into well-greased pans to cool; cut a lemon in 
two, and with the flat side press the candy down smooth; cut it into bars with a 
well-greased knife, when partially cool. 

Peanut Molasses Candy can be made the same way, but use peanuts instead of 
walnuts. 

Everton Taffy. — To 1 lb. coffee A or granulated sugar, add 1 teacup of water; 
cream % lb. of butter and have it ready, and when the sugar is dissolved stir it 
in; flavor with lemon, cook to the "crack" degree, turn it into greased pans, and 
with a greased knife mark into blocks when partly cold. 

Plain Molasses Candy. — Take 2 cups of molasses, 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 

tablespoon of butter, and boil until it will harden in cold water; then stir in 1 

tablespoon of vinegar, pour it on the buttered plates, and pull as soon as cool. 

Adding the sugar makes the candy more brittle ; if white sugar is used instead of brown, 
the candy will be whiter, and if a teaspoon of soda is stirred in well, just before pouring 
out the candy, it will whiten it still more. The vinegar keeps it from graining, and lemon 
juice or tartaric acid would answer as well. The butter keeps it from rising over the sides 
of the pan as it boils, and makes it smoother; some people add a little sweet cream also. 
The idea that molasses candy should be stirred from the time it is put on the stove until 
it is taken off is erroneous. A tin lid placed over the pan as soOn as it begins to boil, will 
keep in the steam which will wash the candy from the sides of the pan. When beginning 
to pull the candy it should be rather sticky, or else it will not be of the right consistency 
when done. After getting the mass into good shape, pull it briskly a few minutes while 
holding it over the stove, and tiie heat and pulling combined, will whiten it wonderfully. 

For Peanut Molasses Candy prepare the peanuts while the candy is cooking, 
lay them on buttered pans, and pour the candy over them when done; cut into 
blocks with a greased knife when it is slightly cooled. 

For Walnut Candy stir in a cup of walnuts just before removing it from the 
fire; then pour into greased tins and finish as above. 

ButterScotch. — Take 3 cups of white sugar, 3^ cup of water, ^.teaspoon of 
cream tartar and 1 tablespoon of butter; boil, without stirring, to the "crack" 
degree; add 34 teaspoon of soda and 8 drops of lemon extract, and turn it into 
well-greased pans, having it about 34 inch thick; when partly cool, mark into 
inch squares with a well-greased knife. 

Sweet Flag Candy. — Take some sweet flag root, wash it, scrape thoroughly, 
slice very thin, and boil 10 minutes in twice as much water as there is of the flag; 
drain off the water, and for each cup of this extract add 1 cup thick maple syrup 
— or sugar will answer; stir well together, and cook till the sugar grains. Excel- 
lent for colds. 

Cough Candy. — Break 2 oz. slippery elm bark into small bits, add 1 cup water 
and 2 oz. flaxseed, and let it soak, stirring a few times, for 1 or 2 hours; strain, 
add 3 cups brown sugar, put it on the stove, stir till the sugar dissolves, and boil 
5 minutes; put in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and bring to the "crack" degree; 
pour it to cool into greased pans, and cut into small squares when partially cool. 
This is a valuable remedy for those troubled with throat affections, or who use 
their voices much, and a pleasant candy as well. 

Caramels {Chocolate). — Take 4 cups of brown sugar, 2 cups New Orleans 
molasses, % cup of milk, 2 cups Baker's chocolate (grated), and butter the size of 
an egg; stir all together, and boil slowly over a slow fire until it cracks in water 
(the "soft crack" degree); add vanilla flavor and turn it about % inch deep, into 
large, flat, well-greased tins; when nearly cold, mark it deeply into squares with a 
greased knife. Break apart when cold, and wrap in waxed paper. 



292 HOME CANDY MAKING. 

Maple Caramels. — Take & cups granulated sugar, 1 cup crushed maple sugar, 
1 cup sweet cream; bring to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of butter and a pinch of 
cream tartar; cook slowly, with constant stirring, to the "soft crack" degree, and 
finish as directed for chocolate caramels. 

Nut Caramels. — Make the same as chocolate caramels and when it is cooked 
(to the "crack" degree) stir in about 1 lb. of nuts, chopped fine; use walnuts, or 
walnuts and almonds mixed; then finish as with the chocolate caramels. 

Vanilla Caramels. — Cream 2 tablespoons of butter, and work in 1 cup brown 
sugar; then mix in 1 cup cream and 1 cup New Orleans molasses, and treat as 
directed for chocolate caramels, flavoring with 1 teaspoon of vanilla just before 
pouring out to cool. 

This can be made into strawberry caramel by flavoring with strawberry 
instead of vanilla, and working in a little red coloring. 

Sugar Drops (Peppermint). — Take 1 cup granulated sugar, moisten it with 2 
tablespoons water; boil it 5 minutes, then take from the fire and add cream of tar- 
tar the size of a pea; mix well, and add 4 or 5 drops of oil of peppermint, and beat 
it briskly until the mixture whitens (have the cream of tartar and peppermint 
measured and ready while the sugar is boiling), then drop it quickly on to oiled 
paper, in drops about the size of peas, or other sizes if preferred. When firm, they 
can be removed from the paper by moistening it on the under side, and lifting them 
off with a limber knife. Dry them in a warm place on a sieve, and keep in closely 
covered boxes. If powdered or confectioner's sugar is used the drops will be less 
brilliant. If the sugar dust is separated from the granulated sugar with a hair 
sieve, it will be an advantage. If the cream gets too hard to drop from the spoon 
set it on the stove, stir till it gets thinner, and drop as before. 

For Ginger Drops proceed exactly the same as for peppermint, but instead of 
flavoring with peppermint use 2 teaspoons of Jamaica ginger. 

For Rose Drops flavor with 7 or 8 drops of essence of rose, and color it with 7 
or 8 drops of the prepared cochineal given elsewhere. 

Lemon Drops can be produced by flavoring it with 1 teaspoon of acetic acid; 
or proceed as follows: Use just enough strained lemon juice to dissolve 1 cup of 
sugar; boil to a thick syrup, drop on to greased plates, and set in a warm place to 
harden. We prefer the first method. 

Wintergreen Drops can be made like peppermint drops, but flavor with winter- 
green, and tint with the prepared cochineal. 

For Currant Drops moisten the sugar with currant juice instead of water; set 
it on the stove and melt, stirring constantly, but do not let it boil; then add a 
very little more sugar, warm it a moment with the rest, drop it on oiled paper, 
and finish like peppermint drops. 

By using raspberry or strawberry juice, instead of the currant juice, raspberry 
or strawberry drops are produced. 

Orange Drops. — Take the juice and grated rind of 1 orange, add a pinch of 
tartaric acid, and stir in enough confectioner's powdered sugar to work well; 
form it into balls the size of marbles. 

French Chocolates. — Melt some confectioner's sweetened chocolate in a cup 
set in hot water, and into it drop nuts of various kinds, or small pieces of candied 
fruit; lift out each piece with a fork and lay it on oiled paper to harden. A great 
variety of delicious and popular candies can be made thus, and they will keep 
longer than the French chocolates sold in the stores. 

Hoarhound Candy. — Boil about 1 oz. of the herb in 1% cups water; then strain 



HOME CANDY MAKING. 293 

it, stir in 3 cups brown sugar, and when it boils add 2 tablespoons of vinegar; boil 
until it is brittle when tested in cold water; pour it into greased pans, and mark 
into squares with a greased knife when partly cold. 

Honey Candy. — Take 2 cups coffee A sugar, water enough to dissolve it, and 4 
tablespoons of strained honey; boil until brittle on being dropped in cold water; 
stir in a teaspoon of nut kernels, and pour it to cool in greased pans. Or, for a 
variety, leave out the nuts and pull it while cooling. 

Peanut Candy. — Take 1 cup coffee A or granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of 
water, and boil till it will harden in cold water; add a pinch of cream tartar, and 
stir in 1 cup of shelled peanuts; finish as directed for hoarhound candy. 

Butternut Balls. — Take some butternuts or beachnuts, pound them very fine 
in a mortar, and add a little allspice and nutmeg. Make a frosting as for cakes, 
and stir in enough of the mixture to make it thick enough to handle. Grease the 
hands, form this mixture into balls, and set on greased tins, allowing room for 
them to spread as they dry. 

Fig Candy. — Take 1% cups water and 1 lb. coffee A or granulated sugar; boil 
until it is brittle when dropped in cold water; add 1 teaspoon each of butter and 
vinegar, and pour it into greased pans on which slices of figs have been laid; put 
slices on top also. 

Crystallized Popcorn. — Take 1 teacup coffee A or granulated sugar, 3 table- 
spoons of water and 1 tablespoon of butter; boil to the "hard ball" degree, and then 
throw in 3 quarts of nicely popped corn; stir briskly until the candy is evenly 
distributed over the corn; take the kettle from the fire (be careful the corn does 
not burn) stir until it cools a little, and each grain will be separated and coated 
with crystallized sugar. 

Nut meats of any kind may be crystallized the same way. 
Crystallized Cherries. — Prepare the sugar and bring it to the "hard ball" degree 
as directed for crystallized popcorn, and then pour it over some fine ripe cherries 
which have been stoned; move them about gently, to coat them nicely, and when 
almost cold, dry them in a cool oven or near the fire. 

Popcorn Balls. — Sort all the hard kernels out of popcorn; then take the 
amount of molasses needed, and boil it until it will hair or thread off the end of 
a spoon (the "feather" degree); pour the hot molasses over the corn, mix well, and 
make into balls as soon as it cools a little, having the hands well greased. 

Corn-cake can be prepared by putting the mass while warm into greased tins, 
pressing it into thin sheets with greased rollers and afterwards cutting it into 
small square cakes. 

Ratafias. — Use % Bb. °f sweet almonds, % Bb. bitter almonds, 2 cups gran- 
ulated sugar, whites of 4 eggs. Blanch, skin and dry the almonds; then pound 
them in a mortar with the white of 1 egg; then stir the sugar in gradually, and 
add the remaining whites of egg; beat thoroughly, and drop on tins covered with 
writing or cartridge paper, and bake about 10 minutes in a quick oven. The 
ratafias should be about the size of a large button when done, and as they spread 
very much in baking only a very little of the paste should be allowed for each 
one. Have them far enough apart on the paper so that they will not touch as 
they swell in baking. 

White Candy. — Take 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon 
of vinegar; boil without stirring until it is brittle when dropped in cold water; 
pour into greased pans, and pull when cool enough, adding vanilla flavor as you 
pull it; form it into sticks, and set in a cool place till the next day. 



294 HOME CANDY MAKING. 

Crystallized Nnts. — Select the finest nuts and lay them in well-beaten white of 
egg, drain them, and again beat what white of egg drips off; then dip them one 
by one into powdered sugar; lay a sheet of fine paper on a pan, place the nuts on 
it, and set in a cool oven; when the icing becomes firm, pile them on a dish, and 
keep in a cool, dry place. 

Crystallized, Iced or Frosted Fruits.— Select ripe, perfect fruit, and dip it in 
the well-beaten white of egg to which a little cold water has been added, or into 
thin gum arabic water; then put it on a sieve and sift on pulverized or fine gran- 
ulated sugar; or roll the fruit in the sugar; let it dry a little, and roll again, lay- 
ing it on oiled paper to dry. Keep it in a cool, dry place, until ready to arrange it 
for the table, as dampness may make it sticky. 

Currants, cherries, grapes, plums, peaches, or other fruit, may be thus pre- 
pared, and it is very attractive for the tea-table or dessert. Leave grapes or 
currants on the stem; and brush the fur off of peaches before frosting them. 

Orange Peel, Candied. — Use thick peel and cut it in thin strips, then boil it, 
frequently changing the water until there is no bitter taste in the water (don't 
be alarmed at the amount of boiling required); drain thoroughly, then put in a 
kettle with sugar only in proportion of 1 cup to the peel of a dozen oranges. Set 
the kettle on the back of the stove, and stir occasionally while the sugar dissolves 
and the peel becomes candied and dry. Keep in a glass jar. Used instead of 
raisins in cake it gives a daintily-flavored fruit cake. 



FRUITS. 

A great variety of fine fruits abound in our markets which in their season are 
cheap and easily obtainable. They may be considered as luxuries, because no 
fruit is essential to life, but they afford a pleasing variety to bills of fare, and they 
possess some value in themselves. While most highly prized by the inhabitants 
of warm countries they are craved and procured by those of temperate climates, 
often even at much expense. Fruit may be profitably eaten at least once a day. 
The juice, consisting largely of watery solutions of acids and sugar, is the most 
enjoyable part, and those varieties containing the most juice with the least cell 
structure are the most highly prized. Although judged by their chemical com- 
position, their food value is not large, fruits act beneficially on the system, when 
fully ripe and eaten in moderation, as they improve the appetite and promote a 
healthy condition of the vital organs. 

Nuts do not form a very important article of diet among any people with the 
exception of the cocoanut. Although judged solely by their chemical composi- 
tion they should be very nutritious, they are difficult of digestion and are valua- 
ble principally for the oil which they contain. 

The following table will show the composition of the principal fruits. The 
"potential energy" in most fruits is rather low, being 175 Calories to the pound in 
strawberries; 200 for pineapples; 210 for lemons; 320 for apples; 640 for bananas; 
and 160 for watermelons. 

TABLE SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OP POOD ELEMENTS IN DIFFERENT FRUITS, ETC. 



Apple > 

Apricot 

Banana(peel'd) 
Blackberry.... 

Cherries 

Cocoanuts 

Currants 

Dates 

Figs 

Gooseberry 

Grapes 

Mulberry 

Peaches 

Pears 

Peanuts 

Plums 

Raspberry 

Rhubarb 

Strawberry 

Walnuts 



Water. 



83.5 
81.2 
74.0 
86.3 
80.2 
46.6 
84.0 
20.8 
17.5 
85.7 
78.0 
85.0 
85.0 
84.0 
7.5 
82.0 
86.0 
95.1 
87.5 
44.5 



Albu- 
menoids. 



0.4 
0.4 
4.8 
0.5 
0.6 
5.5 
0.5 
6.6 
6.1 
0.5 
0.7 
0.5 
0.5 
0.4 

24.5 
0.8 
0.5 
1.0 
1.0 

12.5 



Free 
Acids. 



1.0 
1.1 

0.0 
1.2 
1.0 
0.0 
2.0 
0.0 
0.0 
1.5 
0.8 
1.8 
0.7 
0.2 
0.0 
0.8 
1.3 
0.3 
1.0 
0.0 



Sugar. 



5.0 
15.6 
4.5 
10.2 
8.0 
6.5 
53.0 
57.5 
7.0 
15.0 
9.0 
1.8 
7.0 
0.0 
6 
4.0 
1.8 
6.2 
0.0 



Fats. 



0.0 
0.0 
0.6 
0.0 
0.0 

35.0 
0.0 
0.2 
1.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 

50.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 
0.0 

31.6 



Other 
non-ni- 
trogen- 
ous sub- 
stances 



8.4 

11.5 

4.2 

7.0 

8.0 

3.9 

6.3 

17.8 

15.6 

4.8 

5.1 

3.1 

11.4 

8.1 

16.2 

10.7 

8.2 

1.3 

3.5 

9.7 



Mineral 
Matters. 



0.4 
0.8 
0.8 
0.5 
1.0 
1.0 
0.7 
1.6 
2.3 
0.5 
0.4 
0.6 
0.6 
0.3 
1.8 
0.7 
0.5 
0.5 
0.8 
1.7 



The most wholesome and nutritious fruits are the bland varieties, like apples, grapes, 
pears, strawberries, and gooseberries, although the latter, as well as currants and raspber- 
ries, are less wholesome than the others. Stone fruits are apt to disagree with the stomach, 
but the more watery, like peaches and large plums, are better than those which are smaller 
and drier, like apricots and damsons. Bananas are wholesome. The skin of fruits, and 
the cellular parts in general, are not readily digested. The pulp of oranges renders them 
heavy. 

Fruit may be eaten with a meal or on an empty stomach . The quantity which should 
be taken depends on the kind. A healthy person may now and then eat the bland, nutri- 
tious fruits, as freely as any other wholesome food, but, as a rule, he will gain most if he 
eats but little, and takes it regularly. Whatever fruit is eaten uncooked, must be fully 
ripe, but not over-ripe. When eaten with a meal, fruit promotes digestion by its gently 
irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestine. For a laxative 
effect it is best eaten in the early morning before breakfast, or between meals. Among the 
laxative fruits may be mentioned oranges, figs, tamarinds, prunes, mulberries, dates, nec- 
tarines, apricots and plums. In the early morning an orange acts very decidedly as a lax- 
ative, sometimes amounting to a purgative, and may generally be relied on. Pomegranites, 



296 FRUITS. 

cranberries, blackberries, sumach berries, dewberries, raspberries, barberries, quinces, 
pears, wild cherries, and medlars are astringent. Pomegranites are very astringent, and 
relieve a relaxed throat and uvula. Apples are correctives, useful in nausea and the vom- 
iting of pregnancy; they at once relieve the nausea due to smoking. Grapes and raisins 
are nutritive and demulcent, and very grateful in the sick chamber. Among the fruits 
which act as diuretics are, grapes, peaches, strawberries, whortleberries, prickly pears, 
black currants and melon seeds. Lemons, limes, apples, gooseberries, red and white cur- 
rants, pumpkins and melons are refrigerants. 

Cooking removes much of the acidity from unripe fruit, and renders it lighter as 
well as more palatable. The acid of unripe fruit acts as an irritant poison, causing an 
excessive intestinal secretion with more or less irritation, and hence arises the resulting 
diarrhoea. On the other hand, fruit which is over-ripe, in which fermentation has begun, 
frequently causes the same disorder, and should be equally avoided, although less easily 
avoided because the insidious beginning of decay is not easily recognized. 

The pleasant flavor of many of the fruit sauces depends on blending the acids which 
fruits contain, with sugar, and much of the success of the various cooking operations in 
which they are used depends on the proper combination of these elements. If the acid 
was neutralized, as might easily be done with an alkali, the piquancy would be gone, and 
the product would taste insipid and flat. The aim, therefore, is not to wholly neutralize 
the acid, but merely to blend it agreeably with sweetening. 



FRESH FRUITS: 

Serving Fruit. — Fruit for the table should be selected with care, and choose 
only that which is ripe and perfect. In arranging it for the table there is an 
opportunity to display one's taste and ingenuity. The garnishing requires atten- 
tion. Arrange the fruit tastefully on dishes, with leaves between and around it, 
as the contrast of brilliantly colored fruits with nicely arranged foliage is very 
charming. The double-edged mallow, strawberry and vine leaves have a pleasing 
effect, and in winter the bay and laurel are sometimes used. For the breakfast 
table melons, oranges, and small fruits are generally served, but for the dinner 
table all -fruits are served in their season. Serve whole fruit in a raised dish, 
blending the colors harmoniously, and mix in any pretty green leaves or vines. 
Arrange them conveniently for serving, and so that they will not fall out when 
moved. 

Have fruit fresh, and as cold as possible when served. That which has stood 
for some days in a warm room is not very tempting. Pounded ice is an agreeable 
addition to a dish of raspberries, strawberries, or currants. Pound it in a clean 
cloth until it is almost as fine as snow, and then spread it over the berries. If 
sliced fruits or berries are sprinkled with sugar and allowed to stand 1 or 2 hours 
before serving, they will be much improved. 

Grape scissors, a melon knife and fork, and nutcrackers should always be put 
on the table if there are dishes of fruit requiring their use. 

There are many very attractive ways of preparing fresh fruits for desserts, etc., 
which we explain elsewhere, such as "Frozen Fruit," "Frosted or Iced Fruit," 
"Glaces," "Cream-Coated Fruit," "Fruit Molds," "Fruit Ice Creams," etc., which 
the reader can readily refer to. 

Apples. — Choose those which are not too sour, and which have a pleasant 
taste; wipe them clean, or polish brightly with a cloth, and mix together differ- 
ent colors, like red and yellow, piling them up on a dish. 

Tlie Apple belongs' to the rose order. The cultivated varieties have sprung from the 
wild apple or crab. This delightful fruit is made very wholesome by baking or boiling. The 
acid is mainly malic. The hard acid kinds are unwholesome if eaten raw, but by cooking, 
a great deal of their acid is decomposed and converted into sugar. A large part of its acid 
is turned to sugar as the fruit ripens, or even after it is gathered, by the process of matura- 
tion. When apples decay, the sugar is changed to a bitter principle, and the gum becomes 
moldy and offensive. Old cheese has a remarkable effect in meliorating the apple when 
eaten with it, probably from the volatile alkali or ammonia of the cheese neutralizing the 
acid. 

Apricots. — These need only a few green leaves to garnish them. Pile them 

high on a glass or other dish. 

The Apricot is a native of Armenia, and belongs to the same species as the plum. Its 
delicious fruit much resembles the peach. It only keeps a short time, and is either eaten 
fresh or is made into preserves or jelly. It has sometimes been condemned for its laxative 
qualities, but this may have been caused by eating the fruit when unripe, or in too great 
quantities. Delicate persons should use a liberal quantity of powdered sugar with them if 
they eat them uncooked. Thekernels are sometimes used for the same purposes as almonds. 
Apricots contain rather less water, and more sugar and pectine than peaches. 



FRUITS. 297 

Bananas. —These, if whole, should be piled on either high or low dishes, and 

high in the center, with bright green leaves to make them look pretty. They are 

often mixed in with oranges and grapes. Bananas make a delicious dessert if 

the skins are taken off, and they are cut crossways into thin slices, and then 

sugar and cream served on them. Or, after slicing them, sprinkle on sugar and 

add a little orange juice. Alternate layers of bananas and oranges (peeled and 

sliced) with sugar on each layer are very nice. It will be an improvement to let 

the fruit get very cold, and cover with whipped cream when serving. Bananas 

and strawberries also go well together. 

The Banana grows almost everywhere in the tropics. It is really a variety of the plantain, 
and is very much like it. It is a nutritious food, and contains less water and more nitro- 
genous matter than most fresh fruits. It is always eaten ripe, and then contains much 
sugar, hut little starch. A pound of bananas contains as much nutriment as 3 lbs. of pota- 
toes, and there is every reason to encourage their more extensive use. 

Berries. — Choose the freshest. It is better not to wash them unless they need 

it, but pick them over, hull them, spread a layer in a dish, sprinkle with sugar, 

then put in another layer of berries, and so on alternately. Set them in a cold 

place until ready to serve, and then put on a layer of crushed ice. If necessary to 

wash them, use cold water, wash a few at once, and then hull them, handling as 

little as need be. Do not stir them with a spoon nor drain them in a colander. 

Then sprinkle with sugar and set away as before. Do not wash berries after 

being hulled, as more or less juice escapes with the hulling, and the less they are 

then disturbed the better. 

The Blackberry is a fruit which well repays cultivation, and is now found in its season in 
all principal cities and towns- The root is astringent and is used to check diarrhoea. The 
composition of the berry has been previously given. It is wholesome and belongs to the 
order Rosacece. The Mulberry, Dewberry and Raspberry belong to the same species, and 
their composition and properties are very similar. 

The Huckleberry or Whortleberry, is native to the Northern parts of the world. It is whole- 
some and contains 77% water; 5.7% sugar; 1.3% free acid; 0.7% albumenoids, and 0.5% mineral 
matters. The Blueberry and Bilberry belong to the same species and are similar in compo- 
sition and properties. 

Cherries. — These can be piled in rows and high like a pyramid. 

The Cherry as a cultivated fruit tree is generally supposed to be of Asiatic origin. It 
belongs to the rose order. It bears a sub-acid fruit which is wholesome, cooling, laxative 
and antiscorbutic, but if not fully ripe should be eaten cautiously, as it has a tendency to 
disorder the bowels. Its acid is principally malic. 

Cocoanuts. — These can be grated, and served with either cream or jelly as pre- 
ferred, or both can be used; or serve them with jelly or jam. 

Cocoanut is the fruit of a species of palm. It now grows in nearly all tropical regions. 
The number of different ways in which it is made useful to the inhabitants in the region in 
which it grows is surprising. Each tree yields 80 to 100 nuts annually. The oil expressed 
from the kernel is good, and might be used as food, but it quickly becomes rancid. The 
nut should be eaten moderately only, as it is rather difficult of digestion alone, but in con- 
nection with other food aids their digestion. It is more of a heat-giver than of a flesh-former. 

Currants. — When fully ripe these are delicious and attractive in appearance. 
Mix together the red and white on bunches, in alternate rows, with leaves bor- 
dering the outside; or pick them from the stem and sweeten them. They are 
delicious served with raspberries. 

The Currant is suppdsed to be a native of Northern Europe, and did not attract much 
attention till within the last 100 years. It is not mentioned by the ancient Greek and 
Roman writers. The red, white and black, all belong to the same species as the gooseberry, 
and their composition is nearly the same. It is a wholesome and useful fruit. Its acid is 
principally citric and malic. 

Zante Currants are not really currants at all; they are small grapes grown in Zante, 
which is an island near the Western coast of Greece. They are cultivated on an immense 
plain under the shelter of mountains, and when gathered and dried in the sun and air they 
are stored in magazines until ready for shipment. Zante produces about 9,000,000 lbs. of 
these currants annually. Zante currants are rather indigestible. 

Dates, Figs, French Plums, etc. — These are all served on small glass plates 

or oval dishes, piled high in the center. Garnish them with green leaves. 

The Date is the fruit of a palm tree. It bears bunches, weighing perhaps 25 lbs. with 
200 dates. It grows extensively in Persia and throughout Asia and Africa. More than half 
its weight is sugar. It is a gentle laxative, and is in many cases to be preferred to figs. 



298 FRUITS. 

Dates can be used in pies, cakes, puddings, bread and sauce, and they are worthy of a more 
extensive use, although many people do not understand how to handle them. 

Ripe Figs. — Peel and slice fresh figs, and serve with pulverized sugar and 
cream. 

The Fig is a native of Persia, Asia Minor, etc. The common fig in its native land bears 
2 crops a year. The figs of commerce come mainly from Turkey and the countries border- 
ing on the Mediterranean. The fruit contains about 67 per cent, of sugar, and is wholesome 
and nutritious, but the seeds are indigestible, and sometimes have an irritant action on the 
bowels. 

Gooseberries. — These should be piled high, but need no other arrangement, 

except a few green leaves for decoration. 

The Gooseberry belongs to the same order of plants as the red and black currants. It 
does not appear to have been known to the ancients. The name is by some thought to be a 
corruption of the Saxon gorst (gorse- berry, meaning rough-berry). The skin is very indi- 
gestible. The acid is principally citric and malic. Red gooseberries contain more acid than 
the white, but when that is masked with sugar they are most wholesome. The red 
variety makes an excellent jelly which is light and refreshing, and is good for bilious and 
plethoric persons, and invalids generally who need light and digestible food, but it is not 
very nourishing. 

Grapes. — Examine these carefully, and pick out all which are withered or 

unsound. Rinse them in cold water, Malagas especially. Have the bunches of 

medium size, dividing the large ones. They can be piled in a pyramid, with a 

few hanging over the side of the dish. Different kinds mixed look well, by the 

contrast of colors, and their own or other green leaves can be placed at the edge 

of the dish. Divide the bunches with fruit scissors. 

Grapes of all varieties are mostly natives of tropical and semi-tropical regions. Some 
varieties are dried and sold as raisins and currants. Fresh, ripe grapes, contain much sugar, 
sometimes nearly 20%, and the acid is chiefly tartaric, "part of which is combined with pot- 
ash. All grapes are nutritive and wholesome, but they iare subject to fermentations, and 
when eaten immoderately sometimes bring on colic. In moderation they may be safely 
eaten even by invalids, and are refrigerant, diuretic and laxative. 

Melons. — These should be very cold when served, and are best kept on ice a 
few hours before serving. They may be cut in strips and piled up on a platter, 
or merely cut crosswaySo The ice should not be allowed to come in contact with 
the inside of the melon. Eat with a spoon or fork. They are eaten alone, or 
with salt, sugar or pepper, sprinkled on. 

Cantelopes. — Chill by keeping them on ice before serving; cut them in two, 

remove the seeds, and serve a half to each person. Serve salt with them. Eat 

with a spoon. 

The Melon belongs to the gourd tribe. It has never been found in a wild state, but is 
supposed to be a native of the sub-tropical parts of Asia; it is properly the fruit of a hot 
climate. It was originally named the musk melon. The watermelon although less sweet 
than the muskmelon is more juicy. There are many varieties, but all are wholesome. In 
their season melons are beneficial because of their action on the kidneys, but they should 
not be eaten unless of good quality and fully ripe. The composition of watermelon is 92% 
water; 6% carbohydrates; 1% albumenoids; 0.7% fat, and 0.3% mineral matters. 

Olives. — These can be most attractively served by draining them and putting 
them in a small fancy dish on a bed of broken ice, with a small silver fork in the 
dish. They are served at dinners, lunches and suppers, and are placed on the 
table at the beginning of the meal and are left until it is over. If they are too 
salt let them soak in cold water an hour before serving them. On taking them 
from the table put them in a bottle of slightly salted water, covering them com- 
pletely to keep them from darkening in color. 

The Olive tree is a native of the south of Europe. The fruit is valuable in its ripe and 
unripe state. Unripe olives are pickled in various ways, being usually pickled in lime 
water which renders them softer and milder in taste. They are eaten to destroy the taste 
of viands previously eaten, and to promote digestion. The well-known olive oil is obtained 
mainly from the external part of the ripe fruit. 

Oranges. — These may be served whole, piled up like a pyramid or mixed in 
with bananas and grapes. If served whole they can be cut in two crossways, 
without peeling them; then eat with a spoon, sprinkling on sugar or not as pre- 
ferred. Or they can be served cut in halves, and laid on green leaves; or with 



FRUITS. 299 

the peeling cut and rolled down. Or they can be peeled, divided into sections, 
the seeds taken out and each one cut in 3 pieces with a silver knife; then sprinkle 
on sugar just before serving. In Havana a fork is run into the orange from the 
stem end, which serves as a handle; then with a sharp knife the peel is cut in 
strips and turned down from the top, and the orange is eaten, which leaves the 
fibrous pulp on the fork. 

Oranges and Cocoanut. — Peel and slice oranges, put a layer in a glass dish, 
sprinkle on white sugar and add grated or desiccated cocoanut, then another layer 
of oranges, and so on, ending with sugar and cocoanut on top. It should be pre- 
pared in the morning, and left in a cool place until tea time, or on ice. A glass 
of lemon and orange juice mixed and poured over all, will be an improvement. 

The Orange belongs to the citrus family, to which the citron, lime, shaddock, pomaloe, 
etc., belong. They are all characterized by varying quantities of citron acid, citrate of 
potash and sugar in their fleshy parts. The peeled fruit contains about 86% of water, 8 to 
10% of sugar, and small quantities of citric acid, albumen, cellulose, etc. In buying oranges 
remember that the sweetest ones have rough, reddish skins, while those with a thin, light 
yellow skin, will be more juicy, but also more acid. They are not ripe when picked if they 
have a greenish tinge. Oil of neroli is obtained from orange flowers. The fruit is quite 
wholesome. 

Peaches. — These should have the fur wiped off, but any other garnish than a 
few green leaves is superfluous, as their own color is so rich. They make a beau- 
tiful center dish. Or they can be pared, sliced, granulated sugar sprinkled on, 
and served at once, and cream passed for them. Some people think it an im- 
provement to grate nutmeg over sliced peaches. Try it. Or they can be frozen 
or frosted by the methods we explain elsewhere, and made very attractive. 

The Nectarine can be treated like the peach. 

The Peach tree belongs to the Rose order, is a native of Persia and greatly resembles the 
almond-tree. All the varieties are divided into 2 classes— "freestones" and "clingstones," 
the former being the best. Too much down on a peach is a sign of inferior quality. 
Although a delicious fruit it contains little nutritive matter. It contains little sugar, but 
the malic acid it contains is masked by its pectose. The skin is indigestible. Its acid is 
principally tartaric. The kernels of peach stones yield an oil identical with that of bitter 
almonds. 

The Nectarine is only' a variety of the peach. 

Pears. — Wipe them with a cloth, and pile them high like a pyramid, with a 

few green leaves at the base. For eating, select fine grained pears. 

The Pear belongs to the same order as the quince and the apple, and is one of the most 
valuable fruit trees of temperate climates; there are about 150 varieties, but none of them 
keep as well as apples. They are perfectly wholesome when ripe, but not when 
green, although they may then be stewed. A fermented liquor called perry is made from 
the pear. Its acid is tartaric principally. 

Persimmons. — When dead ripe the skin will be so tough that the calix may be 

pulled out, and then the delicious contents may be taken out with a spoon, but it 

is very astringent unless fully ripe. 

Persimmon is the fruit of the Diospyros virginiana. It grows in the Southern States, but is 
seldom found north of 40°. When green the fruit is very astringent, but when ripe, or 
when mellowed by frost, it is sweet and luscious. By a course of cross fertilization and 
selection the Japanese are said to have brought this fruit to great perfection. 

Pineapples. — A handsome center-piece is formed with a pineapple surrounded 

with oranges and grapes. A pineapple may be pared, and then holding it by the 

tuft, use a sharp knife and start the fruit in thin slices and tear each piece from 

the hard central core; then ci t them into small pieces, add sugar and allow it to 

stand in the refrigerator some time before serving, to form juice. Another way 

is to cut off the tuft, then cut the pineapple into quarters lengthwise; take out 

the hard core, and grate off the fruit until the rind is reached. Pineapple forms 

a good dessert served with lady-fingers or slices of sponge cake in a row around 

the dish. The "strawberry" is considered the best, and the "sugar-loaf" next. It 

is also nice served in alternate layers with cocoanut and oranges, with sugar 

between the layers; after preparing, set it in the refrigerator till ready to serve. 



300 FRUITS. 

The rind of pineapple contains an acid which will make the lips and mouth sore if it 
gets on them; therefore, peel it with one knife, and slice it with a clean fresh one. Salt is 
used as an antidote for the acid if it gets on the lips. 

The Pineapple is a native of South America, but has been naturalized in many semi- 
tropical countries. The fruit is eaten fresh, and although the taste is delicious it is not 
very digestible. It is very perishable. It contains little nutrition, having 89 % of water, 
9% of carbohydrates, 0.4% albumenoids, 0.3% fat and 0.3% mineral matters. When eaten 
uncooked they are best if prepared and placed on ice 2 or 3 hours before being served. 

Pomegranites. — Remove the skin, take out the seeds, and carefully remove 

all the thin brown skin separating the sections; mix the seeds with finely 

pounded ice on a pretty dish, and serve. 

Pomegranite is native to Asia and probably Africa. It has never come into very exten- 
sive use in Europe or America. The pulp has a delicate pleasant flavor, and its sub-acid 
juice makes it cooling and grateful in warm climates. The rind is very astringent (caused 
by the tannin it contains) and a decoction of it makes a good gargle for sore throat, and is 
good for diarrhoea. 

Tamarind.— This is a native of the West Indies, but is cultivated in warm climates. 
The pulp contains citric, tartaric, and malic acids, with potash, sugar, etc. It is refriger- 
ant and laxative.' Tamarinds are best preserved by putting alternate layers of tamarinds 
and sugar into a stone jar. That sold in the market is often adulterated with copper. It 
may be detected with a piece of polished iron or steel, as directed for pickles in the chapter 
on the "Adulteration of Food." 

Plums. — Pile these in pyramidal form. A pretty effect is produced by adding 

sprays of nasturtium leaves and blossoms. 

The Plum has been cultivated from ancient times, and the first fine varieties were prob- 
ably introduced into Europe f rdm the East, the Damson or Damascene taking its name from 
Damascus. When perfectly ripe the best varieties are wholesome. Some varieties are too 
astringent, though by baking they lose much of their bad qualities, and are used in tarts 
and preserves, but they should be used with moderation. If eaten unripe, they are almost 
sure to cause diarrhoea. They are not very rich in sugar, but contain much pectose or veg- 
etable jelly, which gives them their gelatinizing quality. 

Greengages are a variety of plum, although not the largest in size; for delicacy and 
richness of flavor they are unsurpassed, and are generally esteemed as one of the finest 
varieties. 

Prunes are simply dried plums. They are often used for their laxative effect by persons 
subject to habitual constipation. 

The Sloe is the parent of the plum. The leaves have been used to adulterate tea. The 
juice is sharp and astringent, and the fruit, whenjripe, makes good preserves. 

Raisins. — Serve only the choice varieties on the table like the loose "Muscatels" 
or layer raisins. They may be served with candy and nuts, or almonds are some- 
times blanched and strewed over them. 

Raisins contain more sugar and less acid than fresh grapes, and so are more nutritious 
but less refrigerant. If eaten too freely they are apt to derange the digestive organs. 

Raspberries. — If very large and fine they are sometimes piled in rows in 

pyramidal form. Otherwise merely pile them in the center of the dish with a 

few green creepers about the edge. Some people prefer them with little or no 

sugar. Or prepare them as directed for "berries." 

r~ The Raspberry in some form is found throughout Europe and America. There are 3 
kinds— the red and white, the former being most common. The juice is very wholesome 
and valuable to people of a nervous or bilious temperament. 

Strawberries. — Serve as directed for berries. Large fine berries are served by 
the French without hulling; each one is taken by the hull and dipped into 
powdered sugar, which is passed with them, and then eaten. They are also nice 
put into a dish in alternate layers of berries and sugar; then whip together 2 cups 
cream, 1 cup of pulverized sugar and the whites of 3 eggs; flavor with strawberry 
or orange juice, and put it on top of the berries. Another way is to put alternate 
layers of berries and sugar in a dish; then take orange juice in the proportion of 
3 oranges to 2 pints of berries, pour it over, and set the dish in a cool place for 1 
or 2 hours. Sprinkle pounded ice on them just before serving. 

Mock Strawberries. — Use 1 part apples to 3 parts peaches; select choice, ripe 
fruit, and pare, core, and cut it into blocks about as large as strawberries; put 
them in a dish in alternate layers, spread sugar thickly on top, and spread on 
crushed ice; let stand 2 or 3 hours, and then thoroughly mix up the apples and 
peaches; serve after it has stood 1 hour more. 



FRUITS. 301 

The Strawberry was known ito the ancient Greeks and Romans, and is indigenous in all 
temperate climates. It does not contain much nutritive matter, but is very wholesome. 
The seed-like pericarps are not easy of digestion and sometimes cause intestinal irritation 
on which account some physicians have recommended passing them through muslin before 
being eaten. They have more water in their composition than gooseberries or currants, 
and they are cooling, laxative, and slightly diuretic. Some epicures grate the zest of an 
orange over them, thinking it improves the taste, especially when a little sugar is added 
also. 

Nuts. — If served with the shells on they should be wiped. They are merely 
piled high in the center of the dish with or without green leaves around the 
edge. It is best to crack them, however, and serve them with salt. Nuts with a 
tough skin, like almonds, should be blanched. Almonds, filberts, Brazil-nuts, 
hickory-nuts and walnuts, go well with raisins. Nut crackers should always be 
provided if any of the nuts are uncracked. 

Tutti Frutti. — Prepare a cocoanut by opening the 2 eyes and letting out the 
milk which must be strained and kept; break the nut with a hatchet, or saw it 
in two, take out the meat, peel off the brown skin and grate. Cut 2 bananas in 
quarters lengthwise, and then cut in slices. Have ready a chopped pineapple, a 
pint of strawberries or raspberries, and the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 
1 orange. Put a layer of the fruits and nut in the bottom of a glasfe dish, then a 
layer of granulated sugar, then another layer of fruit and so on until the dish is 
full. Pour over all, the milk of the cocoanut and the juice of the lemon and 
orange. Dip from the bottom when serving. 



DRIED FRUITS. 

Many people do not appreciate the value of dried fruit. A large part of the 
water evaporates when the fruit dries, and the nutritive portions are left in a 
more concentrated form. The percentage of nutritive elements in dried apples 
approaches that of bread, but one great drawback to the use of dried fruit is that 
as ordinarily dried many fruits lose much of their peculiar and delicate flavor. 
Many of the fruits are readily and easily dried and can thus be kept for future 
use. Cherries and peaches are (next to apples) about the best of the dried fruits. 

Fruits like apples, etc., can be dried by putting them on a kind of sieve-like 
holder, and submitting them for 3^ hours to the action of a cold air blast. 
Thus dried they are superior to fruits dried by the sun or hot air. 

The new process of preparing fruit by evaporation has overcome many of the objections 
to the old fashioned dried fruit, and its sale has increased enormously. It is probable that 
the sale of evaporated fruit will in the near future partly or possibly largely supplant 
canned fruit in the market, as it possesses many advantages. It is healthful and its use 
desirable. 

Fruit which is to be dried should be ripe and sound. It should be spread in a 
single layer on boards or in shallow boxes. Insects may be kept away by cover- 
ing it with mosquito netting. Keep it spread in the hot sun until it is fully dry, 
as indicated by its turning dark; never set it out in damp or cloudy weather, and 
always bring it in before sunset, to prevent the dew from falling on it. The oven 
istar* excellent place to dry any fruit, as it dries more quickly, and is not so much 
exposed to insects^ but do not let the oven become hot enough to scorch the 
fruit at all. Fruits are still further preserved often by the use of sugar, as in 
some* of the recipes which follow. 

Keeping it. — Dried fruit should be kept in a cool, dry place, away from the 
light, tightly tied in thick paper bags, or in closely covered jars. By turning it 
occasionally into a tin pan and setting it in a hot oven for a few minutes, and 
then tying it in the bags again, there will be no trouble with worms, but to reheat 
it thus, injures its flavor and makes it dark colored. Security against moths is 
secured by using paper sacks, tightly tied, or a box or barrel lined with paper. 
To avoid frequent opening of large packages it is best to keep a small quantity 
on hand in fruit jars. It is sometimes advised to scatter sassafras bark among 
dried fruit to keep away the worms; but its flavor will spoil the fruit for many 
people, so that it is better not to use it. 



302 FRUITS. 

To cook dried fruit let it soak a few hours, or over night, in soft water, and it 
will then need less boiling; then slip it carefully into an aluminum, earthen, 
granite or porcelain-lined sauce-pan, and cook it in the same water until done, 
thus keeping it in shape; it is best not to add the sugar for sweetening until 
about 5 minutes before taking it from the stove. Another good way is to drain 
the water off when soaked, add sugar to make a syrup, let it boil up, turn in the 
soaked fruit and cook until tender; it equals canned fruit when thus cooked. 

Dried Apples. — The apples should be pared, cut into slices, and dried in the 
sun or the oven as above explained. 

Pears and Quinces can be dried the same as apples. 

Apples, to Skin. — By pouring scalding water on apples the skin may be easily 
slipped off and much labor in paring them saved. 

Dried Blackberries. — The cheapest way to preserve them is to carefully dry 
them in the sun as you would apples. Thus preserved they make excellent pies. 
Keep them in a dry, cool place. 

Dried Cherries. — (1) Cherries may be put into a slow oven and thoroughly 
dried before they begin to change color. They should then be taken out of the 
oven, tied in bunches, and stored away in a dry place. Particular care must be 
taken that the oven is not too hot. (2) Another method is to take the stones and 
stems from ripe cherries; spread them on flat dishes, and dry them in a warm 
oven or the hot sun; pour whatever juice may have run from them, a little at a 
time, over them; stir them about, that they may dry evenly. When they are 
perfectly dry, line boxes or jars with white paper, and pack them close, in layers; 
strew on a little brown sugar, fold the paper over, and keep them in a dry place. 
(3) Another plan for cherries is to take equal quantities of cherries and sugar; 
boil the sugar to a caramel; have the cherries stoned, throw them into the cara- 
mel, and let them cool. Then take them out and put them in a sieve to dry, in a 
slow oven, watching them carefully. 

Dried Citron. — Pare and quarter it, and boil it in water until it is clear, and so 
tender that a broom-straw will readily penetrate it; then have ready a syrup of 
sugar and water, drain the citron, and boil it in the syrup until the sugar per- 
meates it; then dry it slowly, spread out on dishes, turning it occasionally, and 
sprinkling on powdered sugar several times. When sufficiently dried, pack it in 
alternate layers of citron and sugar, in boxes and jars. It can be used for 
cakes, etc. 

The, Citron belongs to the same genus as the orange and lemon. It is a native of India, 
but is cultivated in all orange-growing countries. It is acidulous, antiseptic, and anti- 
scorbutic and has been recommended for chronic rheumatism, gout and scurvy. It is not 
unsuited for eating in its natural state, and the juice mixed with water and sweetened 
forms an excellent drink. The prepared rind or peel is much used for cooking and con- 
fectionery. 

Dried Currants. — Put alternate layers of currants and sugar in a jar, using 1 
cup of sugar to each pound of currants; let stand until the next day, and bring 
them to a boil, and boil 34 hour; skim them, and then dry in a slow oven or the 
sun, spreading them out on plates. They serve well in pudding or pies instead 
of raisins. Keep them in paper bags, or in stone crocks well covered, or pack 
them in sugar in glass jars. 

Dried Gooseberries.— -(1) To 7 lbs. of red gooseberries, add 1% lbs. powdered 
sugar, which must be strewed over them in the preserving pan; let them remain at 
a good heat over a slow fire until they begin to break; then remove them; repeat 
this process for 2 or 3 days; then take the gooseberries from the syrup, and spread 
them on sieves to dry. The syrup may be used for other purposes. When the 
gooseberries are quite dry, store them in tin boxes on layers of paper. (2) They 



FRUITS. 303 

are sometimes dried in a moderate oven or the sun, without the sugar, as directed 
for cherries. Select firm, ripe fruit. 

Dried Peaches. — (1) Take free-stone peaches, cut in halves arid place them on 
plates, hollow side up; fill the hollows with granulated sugar, and place in a slow 
oven, or in the sun, if the weather is fine, until they are half dry; then pack them 
in glass jars, hollow side down; first a layer of dry sugar, then a layer of peaches 
mashed flat with the small end of a potato masher, then layers of sugar and fruit 
until the jar is full, having a layer of sugar on top. Screw on the covers, and 
keep in a cool, dry closet. (2) Another way is to put well-ripened peaches in 
boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes — a whole bushel can be put in the boiler at once; 
then turn off the water and the skins can be more easily and quickly removed, they 
can be stoned easier, they will dry quicker, and are better when dried. Dry them, 
sprinkled with sugar, in a moderate oven or in the sun. (3) They can also be 
dried without removing the skins, but the fur should be well rubbed with a piece 
of flannel; then dry like apples. 

Peach Chips. — Use 1 cup of sugar to each lb. of fruit; boil the sugar in water 
enough to dissolve it, until it becomes very thick; then put in the peaches, which 
should be peeled and sliced, and scald them well; then take them out with the 
skimmer and dry in the sun. When dry, pack closely in jars in layers, with pow- 
dered sugar between each layer. The syrup left can be bottled, and used in pud- 
ding sauces, blanc manges, etc. The chips can be used in puddings instead of 
raisins. 

Dried Pineapple. — Pare and slice the fruit thinly, put it on dishes, and strew 
on it a plenty of powdered sugar; keep it in a very slow oven 8 or 10 days, and 
turn the fruit every day until dry; then put the pieces of pineapples on tins and 
place them in a quick oven for 10 minutes. Let them cool, and store them away 
in dry boxes, with paper between each layer. 

Dried Plums. — -These need not be pared; rub the skin thoroughly with a 
piece of flannel, and dry in the sun or an oven, like apples. 

Dried Watermelon Kinds. — These can be dried in the sun after being pre- 
served, and they can be used instead of the imported citron for cakes and pud- 
dings, answering very well. 

GOOKED FRUITS. 

Baking, stewing and frying are the simplest and easiest ways of cooking fruit. 
Do not pare the fruit long before cooking it, or it will discolor by exposure to the 
air, and its delicate flavor will be impaired. Cook it in aluminum, earthen or 
porcelain kettles, and use earthen dishes, silver or aluminum knives and wooden 
spoons, as iron or pewter spoons may cause discoloration. It is better not to 
prepare a great deal of stewed fruit at once, as it does not keep long. Only a lit- 
tle sugar is needed. 

Using Sugar. — Many cooks do not understand the use of sugar in cooking 
fruit. The sugar in ordinary use is cane sugar, and is 2% times as sweet as grape 
sugar, but is closely allied to it, as we have explained elsewhere. Cane sugar can 
be changed to grape sugar by cooking it with acids and thus its sweetening power 
will be reduced to that of grape sugar. Some cooks put their sugar in with a 
mass of acid fruit to be cooked, and keep cooking and adding sugar as the mass 
gets sweeter, until at last they use 2% times as much sugar as they need to do, 
because the cane sugar becomes changed to grape sugar. If the sugar had been 
added after the fruit was cooked, much less would have been required, and the 
result would have been far more satisfactory. By bearing this in mind a large 
saving can be made in the use of sugar. Many people misapprehend the effect of 
sugar on the acids of fruits. Enough sugar can be added to disguise the taste 
of the acid, but it does not neutralize it as an alkali would do, nor does it effect 
any chemical change in the acid whatever. 



304 FRUITS. 

Baked Apples. — Wash sour apples, wipe them dry, and remove the cores; fill 
the holes with sugar, and add a little spice and a piece of butter on each apple; 
put 3^ cup of hot water in the pan and bake the apples until tender. Serve with 
spongecake. If preferred, a little grated lemon peel can be mixed with the sugar 
instead of the spice and butter; baste often with the syrup as they bake. Baked 
apples served with or without flavored milk, are delicious. 

Baked Apples and Oranges. — Take 6 good sweet apples; remove the blossom 
end, pare, and put in a baking-pan; sprinkle on 1 small cup sugar. Invert a pan 
over them, and bake until tender; let them cool in their own juice, then pile high 
in a glass fruit dish; pour the sweetened juice and pulp of 3 oranges over them, 
and sprinkle on the grated yellow rind. 

Boiled Apples. — Take 12 good whole apples; put them in a stew-pan and pour 
on 2 cups boiling water; boil until soft, and sweeten On taking them from the 
stove. Serve hot or cold — best cold. 

Apple Butter. — Boil new cider down %; then add an equal quantity of apples 
which have been pared, quartered and cored; boil until the apples are tender, and 
then sweeten with light brown sugar, and boil, with constant stirring, until it is 
reduced to a smooth, buttery mass; spice to taste and put away in stone jars. If 
cooked properly, the spices can be omitted if desired, as the true apple flavor is 
preserved better without them. It is better if left slightly tart. 

Fried Apples. — Cut sour apples from the cores in small chunks — do not peel 
them — and put them in a frying-pan with the fat fried from 2 or 3 slices of salt 
pork; sprinkle a little salt over them, cover tightly with a plate, and place on the 
stove where they will cook slowly % hour. Serve as a sauce for meat at dinner. 
They are also good cold with bread and butter. 

Glaced Apples. — Partially stew large whole apples; take them out and bake 
them. Take the water in which they stewed, add white sugar, and boil until it 
will form a soft candy when cool (about the "crack'' degree). Arrange the baked 
apples on the dish in which they will be served, and pour the syrup over them 
hot. When cold, an amber coating of soft candy will have formed about each 
apple, which will add to its appearance and taste. 

Apple Meringues. — Take 6 apples, peel, quarter and core them; set them over 
the tire in a sauce-pan, with 2 tablespoons of water, stirring occasionally until 
done; then mix 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar with them, and arrange them into a 
mound in a silver or tin dish. Take the well-beaten whites of 3 eggs, and add 
3 oz. pulverized sugar; spread % of this over and around the apples, smoothing 
it with a knife dipped in cold water; put the remainder in a piping bag (see 
"Piping") and decorate the dish according to taste, or put small knots here and 
there, over and around the dish. Dust with sugar, and put into a hot oven 20 or 
25 minutes. Serve in the same dish. 

Apple Sauce. — Select 12 sour apples, pare, core and fill the holes with sugar; 
when cooked very soft, mash through a sieve into a small pudding dish, and add 
the grated rind of 1 lemon; beat the whites of 2 eggs and 4 tablespoons of white 
sugar; add it, and brown slightly. Eat cold. 

Improved Apple Sauce. — Pare and core 10 tart apples and stew with as 
little water as possible; then add 1 cup powdered sugar; whip the whites of 4 
eggs to a stiff froth, add to the apples, and stir rapidly for a few minutes. Set 
aside to cool, and serve with sweetened cream flavored with lemon. It some- 
what resembles ice cream, and makes a delicious dessert served with nice cake. 

Improved Apple Sauce No. 2. — Too sweet apples do not cook well. Cook the 



FRUITS. 305 

sliced apples, in barely water enough to cover them, until tender enough to mash 
easily through a colander; sweeten while warm, and season with rose-water, 
lemon juice and nutmeg. Lemon peel stewed with them adds a delicate flavor. 

Cider Apple Sauce. — Take & quarts of sweet apples, pared, quartered and 
cored; add 2 quarts of cider either sweet or boiled; cover with a plate, and boil 
slowly but steadily until the apples are cooked. 

Dried Apple Sauce. — Look over and wash the apples, and let them soak over 
night in soft water; cook them next morning, slowly and without stirring, until 
they are tender; about 5 minutes before taking from the stove add sugar to 
sweeten; mash through a sieve, and flavor with cinnamon. 

Dried Peach Sauce can be made the same way, but do not mash it, and season 
it less. 

Bananas, Baked.— Peel the bananas, cut them in halves, and put them in a 
shallow pan; for each banana allow 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of hot 
water; melt a little butter in the hot water and pour it over the bananas; with 
the sugar mix a little salt and spice or lemon juice, sprinkle it on top, and bake 
in a quick oven till brown. 

Fried Bananas.— (1) Choose bananas which are not quite ripe (the "Plantain" 
being best); peel, slice, and drop them into a frying-pan containing smoking hot 
fat, about X inch deep; they will soon brown; then take them out and serve hot, 
sprinkled with pepper and salt, or, if for dessert, sprinkle with sugar instead. 
(2) Or peel, slice, egg and bread-crumb them, and fry to a delicate brown in a 
kettle of smoking hot fat; drain on a sieve or blotting paper and serve. 

Cranberry Sauce. — Pick over the berries, wash and scald them, and put on to 
stew over a moderate fire, adding 1 cup water for each pound of cranberries; 
cover, and stew slowly, stirring as little as possible. If boiled hard, especially 
when first put on the stove, it is apt to separate the skin from the berry. Sweeten 
them to taste on taking them from the stove. Part of the acid can be extracted 
from the cranberries, so that less sugar will be needed to sweeten them, if they 
are allowed to stand first, for about 5 minutes in boiling water; then drain them 
out, and set them on to stew with fresh water. A few raisins added to cran- 
berries make a pleasant combination. 

Cranberry Sauce No. 2. — -Take 3 cups water, 1 lb. of raisins, and 2 quarts of 
cranberries; boil until soft enough to sift easily; pass it through a sieve, add 2 
cups sugar, and boil 10 minutes. If some of it is desired for immediate use pour 
it into a mold; can the remainder for future use. Or they can be cooked together, 
sweetened, and set aside to cool without being put through the sieve. 

Date Sauce. — Prepare dates for cooking as directed under "Cake." (1) Pare, 
core and quarter apples, and stew until nearly done; then add an equal quantity 
of dates and stew until tender, but no longer; sweeten to taste. (2) Another way 
is to pare and core apples, without quartering them, fill the center of each apple 
with dates, pour on a little hot water, sprinkle with sugar, and bake in the dish 
in which they are to be served; then cover with a meringue and brown slightly 
in the oven. 

Dried Berries, Stewed. — To stew dried berries take about 1 quart of water to 
1 pint of berries, and boil slowly and steadily % hour. Sweeten to taste. The 
various dried berries are cooked alike. Raspberries and blackberries mixed are 
nice, using the same amount of each. 

Fig Sauce. — Scald and wash ~% lb. of nice figs; take every seed from 3^ lb. of 
raisins, tearing them in 2 pieces as you seed them; cut the figs in very small 
39 



306 FRUITS. 

pieces and mis with the raisins; add water enough to cover them, and steam 1 
hour in a pudding dish. It makes a delicious sauce for tea, or dessert for dinner. 
Gooseberry Fool. — Take off the tops and stalks from 1 lb. of gooseberries and 
stew them with % CU P sugar in %. CU P water; then pulp through a sieve. Whip 
2 cups cream and beat into the pulp. 

Gooseberry Trifle. — Put 1 quart of gooseberries with 1 lb. of sugar in a kettle 
and boil until reduced to a pulp. When cold, place in a dish, pour over it 1 quart 
boiled custard, and cover with whipped cream. 

Lemon Butter. — Take the juice of 2 lemons and the grated rind of 1, 2 cups 
sugar, 1 tablespoon of butter and 4 eggs; beat all well together, place over the 
fire, and stir until the consistency of honey. 

Lemon Jelly. — Mix 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, and 1 grated lemon; boil until thick. 
Peaches, to Skin. — If peaches are dipped in boiling hot water for an instant 
the skins will rapidly slip off, saving labor in paring them. 

Baked Peaches. — Choose those which are ripe, or nearly so, put them in a deep 
earthen dish, sprinkle on sugar, and bake until done, keeping them covered. 

Peach Butter. — (1) Take 1 gallon of sweet cider and boil it down one-half, 
into this put soft peaches, pared and cut into pieces, and boil, with frequent 
stirring, until they are reduced to a pulp; just before taking from the fire add 
sugar, if it is not sweet enough, and cloves and cinnamon to taste. Keep in tightly 
covered jars. (2) Take ripe peaches, pare and stone them, and put in a kettle; 
add a little water and boil them soft, and then pass through a colander. Then 
add 134 cups of sugar to each pint of peaches, and boil slowly 1 hour, stirring 
often; do not let them burn. Keep in a cool place in stone or glass jars. 

Fried Peaches. — Take ripe, freestone peaches, cut them in two, remove the 
stones, and at once drop each half, the cut side down, into a frying-pan containing 
about % inch of smoking hot fat; as soon as they are a light brown, turn them 
over and do the other side; as soon as heated through, transfer them to a hot 
platter. Serve them hot, the hollow side up, sprinkling on a little pulverized 
sugar. 

Baked Pears. — (1) Choose good ripe pears, pare and halve them, but do not 
take out the seeds; put them in a stone jar in layers, sprinkling sugar on each 
layer, and add a few pinches of nutmeg to flavor. To keep them from burn- 
ing add 1 cup water, cover closely, and bake 3 hours in a moderate oven; leave 
them in the oven over night, unopened. Before using them place for a few hours 
on ice; then turn into a dish. Serve with cream. (2) Hard pears or "windfalls" 
can be pared, quartered and cored, and put into a deep pudding dish; add 1 cup 
water and 1 cup sugar for each 2 quarts of pears; cover closely, and bake in a 
moderate oven — it will take several hours. They will keep then indefinitely, if 
sealed in Mason jars as soon as they are done, and while still hot. Fruit that is 
often left on the ground to waste, may be saved thus and made useful. 

Chipped Pears. — Take pears not quite ripe; pare and core them, and cut into 
long, thin strips; to 8 lbs. of the fruit add 6 lbs. of sugar, the juice of 3 lemons 
and the rind cut into strips, 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of ginger; boil the 
whole until the fruit is transparent, and then bottle. 

Plum Charlotte. — Take 1 quart of ripe plums, stone, stew, and then sweeten 

them; place slices of bread and butter in the bottom and around the sides of a 

large bowl or deep dish, and pour in the plums, boiling hot; cover the bowl and 

set it away to cool gradually. Send it to the table cold, and eat with cream. 

Damson Sauce. — Take 6 lbs. ripe damsons, 1 quart cider vinegar, 1% lbs. sugar j 



FRUITS. 307 

boil until the damsons are soft, then take them out, mash them, put back into 
the syrup and boil from % to % hour, stirring them and watching that they do 
not stick to the kettle or burn. 

Prune Sauce.— (1) Soak the prunes over night; in the morning boil until they 
will slip from the stones easily; when used, slip them from the stones and serve 
with thick cream. (2) To 1 lb. prunes when put on to stew, add the juice. and 
thin yellow rind of an orange; when done (when the stones are loose) sweeten 
with plenty of sugar. This sauce is excellent with rabbit, roast pig, kid, venison 
or fawn. 

Stewed Primes. — Select good prunes, wash them, and let soak 1 or 2 hours if 
dry and hard; then cover them with boiling water, cover closely, and boil until 
tender and swollen; then for each quart of prunes add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 
boil a little more, but not long enough to break the skins. A little lemon juice 
may be added if they are deficient in flavor. 

Baked Quinces. —Choose ripe quinces, wash and core them, fill the cavities 
with sugar, put in a baking-pan with a little water and bake until soft. They 
are very fine if eaten with sugar and butter when hot. 

Stewed Quinces. — Choose good quinces, and pare, quarter and core them; add 

sufficient water to % cover them, cover closely, and stew until tender; for each 

lb. of quinces add 1 cup of sugar, cover closely, and cook until a thick syrup. If 

% as many apples as quinces are used it makes a nice dish. 

The Quince is a native of India, whence it was introduced to Greece. The ancients pre- 
served it in honey, or sweet wine reduced M by boiling. It makes a fine marmalade and a 
little added to apple pie improves the flavor. 

Raisine. — Take very ripe but quite sound grapes, squeeze the juice from them 
and boil until it is reduced a half. Peel and core some pears, quarter them, put 
them in this grape syrup, and boil till it is reduced a third. It may be made 
with unripe grapes, but then sugar must be added, allowing 34 lb. to each pint of 
grape juice. 

Stewed Rhubarb. — Peel it, cut into inch pieces, stew it until soft, and sweeten 
to taste. If very sour, it can be allowed to first stand 5 minutes in boiling water, 
then drain it out and put it in fresh water to stew. This extracts part of its acid, 
and less sugar is then needed to sweeten it. Rhubarb and green currants mixed 
together, stewed, and sweetened to taste, make a pleasant sauce. 

Rhubarb Butter.— To each pound of rhubarb, which is peeled and chopped, 
allow 2 cups sugar; let them simmer together until it is done. 

Rhubarb is a native of Asia, and its introduction to Europe is of quite recent date. It 
belongs to the buckwheat order. Although it cannot be eaten raw, when cooked it is much 
used All kinds are best for culinary purposes when blanched. The stalks are sometimes 
partly blanched by putting a headless barrel over them and allowing them to grow up 
through it. Its food value is small, not \i of its solid matter being nutritive. It contains 
about 2 % of sugar, which is its chief nutrient element. Its sour taste is due t.o the pres- 
ence of oxalic acid, of which it contains 0.3$. In some conditions of the body, rhubarb, 
sorrel, and other plants containing oxalic compounds, are best avoided. Oxalic acid is 
always and everywhere an irritant poison, but the amount in rhubarb is small. 

A Hint.— If equal quantities of rhubarb and any other kind of fruit are mixed together 
the rhubarb will soon taste exactly like the other fruit. 

Tomato Butter. — Scald the tomatoes, remove the skins, and add 34 as much 

pared, cored and quartered apples as there are tomatoes; cook slowly, stirring 

often, till reduced to the consistency of marmalade; when the apples begin to 

break, sweeten to taste with light brown sugar, and add the juice of 1 lemon and 

1 teaspoon ginger, if desired, for each 6 lbs. of the fruit. 

COMPOTES. 

These are the French method of preparing the English stewed fruit. Com- 
potes consist of any kind of fresh fruit, partly cooked in a syrup less strong than 
that used for preserves or jam, and are used the same day they are made. If 



308 • FRUITS. 

enough sugar is allowed they will keep good for 2 or 3 days, in a cool place. If 
there is any sign of mold or fermentation, it may be checked on its iirst appear- 
ance by boiling the preparation a second time for 1 or 2 minutes. They are more 
economical and wholesome than pastry, and superior compotes can be served for 
dessert. They are much relished by persons who cannot eat raw fruit. They 
should be served in a glass dish with cake. 

The essential thing to remember in making compotes is that the fruit should 
not be cooked as thoroughly as when it is to be served as stewed fruit; it must 
not cook enough to lose either its form or color. After the fruit has simmered 
in the syrup, lift it out with a skimmer, arrange it in a glass dish (called a com- 
potier) boil the syrup a little, let it cool, and pour it over, straining it if it needs 
it. If an insufficient amount of sugar is used the syrup will not be clear and 
bright. 

Syrup for Compotes. — A good rule is to allow 3 cups of water for each lb. of 
sugar; boil it 15 minutes, removing the scum carefully as it rises; the syrup is 
then ready for use. Articles boiled in this will not keep long, it being suited 
only for dishes intended to be eaten immediately; more sugar must be added for 
syrup intended to keep. Also the kind of fruit and its ripeness will affect the 
amount of sugar needed. 

Compote of Apples. — Select moderate sized apples; either pare, halve, and core 
them, or cook them whole if preferred; then add prepared syrup and let them sim- 
mer until tender, adding a little lemon juice; lift out apples and boil syrup a little 
to thicken it; cool it, and pour it over the apples. Garnish it with strips of green 
angelica, candied citron, or a border of rice jelly or plain boiled rice, or put a 
slice of lemon on each apple. 

Pears, Peaches, and other fruit may be prepared the same way, but it is best 
to stone peaches. 

Oranges should be peeled and divided into sections without breaking the thin 
skin; then treat them as directed for apples. 

Banana Compote. — Peel and slice the bananas and place them in a dish (alter- 
nate layers of red and white bananas look nice), pour over them the hot syrup for 
compotes, let stand till cold, and serve with whipped cream. 

Compote of Figs. — Dissolve 34 lb. of loaf sugar in 2 cups of water; add 1 lb. of 
dried figs, a little grated lemon rind, and stew all very gently for 2 hours. Have 
some sponge cake ready, cut into squares; lay a stewed fig on each square, add a 
little lemon juice to the syrup, which should be pretty thick, and pour it over the 
figs. Serve when cold with thick cream or whipped cream. It makes a dainty, 
cheap and wholesome dessert. 

A Compote of Creen Figs can be made with 1% pints of green figs and 1 pint 
of the prepared syrup, and proceed as directed for a compote of apples. 

Gooseberry Compote. — Gooseberries for compote should not be very ripe; top 
and tail them, pour on some boiling water, then take them out and plunge them 
into cold water containing a little vinegar, which will assist in keeping the color 
good; then drain them, put them into the syrup, and proceed as directed for 
apples, being careful not to break their skins. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES, AND 
PRESERVES. 

These include all those preparations of fresh fruit made with a sufficient 
quantity of sugar to prevent fermentation, without the process of sealing them 
in cans or bottles while hot. They have been used from time immemorial under 
the name of sweetmeats or preserves. A goodly array of preserves and jellies in 
her store-closet will fill the heart of the thorough housewife with great satisfac- 
tion, and although it is some work to m'ake them she will know that they are 
pure and healthful, while often there is much uncertainty about those bought at 
the stores. 

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS. 

The Fruit. — Fruit intended for preservation should be gathered in dry weather, 
and, if possible, while the morning sun is on it; it will then have its finest flavor, 
and will keep better than when gathered at any other time. It should be used 
as soon as possible after it is gathered; if kept a short time, put it in a refrigerator 
or ice-house — in the latter it will keep fresh and plump for several days. Fruit 
that is dusty is not injured by being rinsed quickly in and out of cold water, but 
if gathered during or immediately after a rain the juice will be less rich and less 
full of flavor; if gathered in damp or foggy weather it will soon mildew, and so 
will be worthless unless used immediately, and boiled very thoroughly, when it 
can be made into jams or preserves that will keep, but they will be of inferior 
quality and doubtful wholesomeness. There is no greater mistake than to 
imagine that half -ripe or over-ripe fruit is good enough for preserves. The fruit 
should be free from dust, and any which is unsound should be cast aside. What- 
ever fruit has been boiled should be finished up the same day, and never any kept 
over night. Quinces, pears, apples, etc., can be kept from turning dark by put- 
ting them in cold water as soon as pared, but it is better to cook them as soon as 
possible. 

The Sugar. — The best quality of sugar either white or brown will be found 
the cheapest in the end. For the more delicate kinds of preserves only the best 
sugar should be used. Jelly made from a bluish white sugar will not harden well. 
An inferior quality of sugar is sometimes used for preserves or canned fruit, but 
when that is used they will spoil more easily, and will not look as well. If too 
little sugar is used the mixture will not keep, and it is false economy to try it. 
If too much sugar is used, on the other hand, the flavor of the fruit will be lost. 
Coarse brown sugar conceals the flavor of the fruit, and moist sugar lacks 
sweetening power. 

The water used for melting sugar should be pure, clear and entirely free from 
sediment, as any cloudiness will impair the clearness of the product, and in clear 
jellies this is objectionable. 

The Utensils Used. — The best vessels to use in cooking fruits for preserves or 
canning are aluminum, porcelain-lined kettles or yellow ware dishes. Never use 
tin vessels, as the acid of the fruit acts on the tin and the poisonous acetate of 
lead is formed. To cook the fruit equally throughout, the vessel should be rather 
large in diameter and not too deep; if too much heaped the fruit will not cook 
evenly. Close fitting covers should be provided, and put on after the scum has 
done rising, so as to retain the flavor of the fruit with the steam. Wire sieves 
and iron pots destroy the flavor and should not be used. Copper or brass kettles 
should be scoured very bright with salt and vinegar before being used, and the 
fruit removed at once on taking it from the fire, but even then some of the poison- 
ous verdigris will be formed by the action of the acids on the mental. Porcelain 
lined vessels are much better. Aluminum vessels are excellent to use, because 
the citric, malic and other acids found in fruits do not affect that metal. 

Fruit should be stirred with either an aluminum, silver or wooden spoon — the 
latter is best. Iron, tin or pewter ones will spoil the color. 

(309) 



ato Jams, jellies, marmalades and preserves. 

The Principles Involved.— Although the sugar passes easily into the state of fermen- 
tation, and is in fact the only substance capable of undergoing the vinous stage of that 
process, it will not ferment at all if the quantity be sufficient to constitute a very strong 
syrup; hence syrups are used to preserve fruits and other vegetable substances from the 
changes they would undergo if left to themselves. Before sugar was in use honey was em- 
ployed in preserving, but it is now replaced by sugar. In putting up juice or fruit, the 
object is to boil it with sugar to such a consistency that it will neither ferment nor 
mildew. 

In boiling most fruits, it is best to boil them in water first, and add the sugar when the 
fruit has become soft and the juice is drawn out. The first object in preserving fruit is to 
soften it by boiling in water, so that the sugar by which it is preserved may penetrate all 
through it, and so preserve it well. The more thoroughly the skimming is done the clearer 
the preserves will be. 

Fruit jellies owe their jelly-like consistency to the presence of a sort of gum-like sub- 
stance which they contain called pectose, or pectic acid. This substance, although soluble 
in fruit juice, when mixed with sugar, exposed to heat, and cooled, will coagulate. Although 
in appearance so much resembling gelatine, from a chemical standpoint it is entirely dif- 
ferent, being nearly allied togum, but it has about the same food value as the sugar with 
which it is mixed. The pectose does not develop in fruit until it begins to ripen, but as 
soon as the fruit is over-ripe it loses its gelatinizing property. For jellies, therefore, fruit 
should be gathered as stomas fully ripe, or just a little before. Over-cooking jelly also 
destroys the gelatinizing properties of the pectose. 

The chemical composition of the various preserves is simply the composition of the fruit 
juice and fruit itself, with the loss of a few volatile constituents, and the addition of cane 
sugar. 

Home-made preserves, jams, etc., when properly prepared and well made, are much supe- 
rior to those which are sold in the market. Professor Sharpless says that "apple sauce is 
frequently pumpkin boiled with cider; that raspberry jam offered for sale is often sour, 
and that strawberry jam is frequently made from the refuse strawberries of the market." 

Putting in Jars and Keeping. — Put jellies, jams, and marmalades in small 
glasses, which will prevent the frequent opening necessary with large ones. The 
usual method has been to lay on top a piece of paper dipped in brandy or alcohol 
and cut to fit nicely, and then paint a larger piece with white of egg and tie it on 
over the other — some people tie on parchment. A much simpler and easier 
method for jellies is when they get cold to pour on melted parafine. It hardens 
almost immediately, and then a piece of brown paper can be tied on to keep out 
the dust. The parafine will lift off easily, and it can be washed, kept, and used 
again by remelting. 

If any of the preparations become candied, set the glasses in water and let it 
boil around them, which will remedy it. If jellies are put in wine bottles for 
exportation, put 1 tablespoon of alcohol in each bottle before sealing. Look over 
jellies the last of the summer, and reboil them if there are any indications of fer- 
mentation. 

The glasses or jars into which jams, preserves, etc., are put, should be per- 
fectly dry, and the closet in which they are stored should be neither so warm 
that they ferment, nor so damp that they become moldy. 

Preventing Mold. — Jellies can be kept from molding by covering the top, when 
cool, with pulverized sugar, melted parafine, or oil, like salad or cotton-seed. 

Mold.— Remember that mold is a low form of life (it is a plant) and a certain amount of 
moisture is necessary to its growth. Its seeds are so small that they penetrate the tiniest 
crack, and the mold spreads readily from one thing to another. If specks of mold appear, 
the plant can be killed by putting the jars in a well-heated oven, or by putting them in a 
pan of water and letting it boil around them. Its presence is always an injury, detracting 
from both the wholesomeness and flavor of the article it attacks. 

Keep jellies, jams, etc., in a dark, cool, dry closet. Paste on the side of each 
glass a little strip of paper bearing the name of its contents. If glass jars are 
used for preserves, wrap 2 or 3 thicknesses of paper around each one, which will 
exclude the light and keep them from bleaching. 

Coloring. — The only coloring suitable for any fruit preparation is some veget- 
able color, like those we give for " Prostings," but they should be used sparingly. 



JELLIES. 

These are made with clear fruit juice and sugar, the usual rule being to mix 
them in equal proportions. As, owing to the change in its pectose, fruit will not 
make jelly when it is over-ripe, it should be gathered for this purpose just as it 
turns ripe. If you wish clear, firm jelly, do not make it in damp or rainy weather. 

When a sweet fruit, like the pear, etc., is used in making jelly, add some very 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 311 

sour apple juice — say about half; or for strawberries use red currant juice. Alone, 
the sweet fruits do not make good jelly because they lack pectose — the substance 
which causes fruit juice to jelly. Gelatine is sometimes added with cherries and 
some other fruits; allow a package to each % gallon of juice when it is used. 
Grapes are unreliable. Crab-apples jelly readily. Combining 2 fruits, like % 
currants to % raspberries, improves the flavor of jams and jellies. Another 
excellent combination for jelly is % apple juice to % peach juice. A delightful 
jelly is made from swamp huckleberries or low blackberries. Barberries, cur- 
rants, apples, grapes and quinces all jelly well. Damsons make an excellent 
jelly. 

To Make Jelly. — In making jellies cut large fruit into small pieces; add water 
enough to prevent the fruit from burning — apples and quinces need just enough 
to cover them, and currants less; cover the kettle and boil slowly until the fruit 
is soft. Then put both fruit and juice into the jelly bag, and allow it to drip, 
setting it in a warm place. Toward the last, squeeze the bag gently with the 
hand, or use 2 spoons, but do not be too anxious to squeeze out all the juice, as 
the more you squeeze it the cloudier you will make the jelly.* Measure the juice, 
and the general rule is to allow 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice, but quinces need 
only % lb. sugar to each lb. of juice. Now put the juice on the stove, bring it to 
a boil, and continue to boil without being covered, until done — 20 minutes being 
the rule for most fruits; skim frequently, as the more perfect the skimming the 
clearer the jelly will be; do not boil it too hard. Have the sugar ready heated 
(heat it in the oven while the juice is boiling, stirring it frequently from the bot- 
tom), and now drop it into the boiling juice, stirring constantly. Let it just come 
to a boil, and put at once into the jelly glasses; or another plan is to have a heated 
pitcher ready, with a piece of cheese cloth wet in hot water spread over the top. 
Pour the jelly, a dipperful at a time, through this strainer into the pitcher, and 
then turn it from the pitcher into the glasses, and set away to cool. The jelly 
glasses can be standing ready in a pan of hot water; take them out, drain, and 
turn in the jelly. 

In making jelly it should boil neither too long nor too short a time; if it boils 
too long it will be discolored and its flavor injured; if insufficiently boiled it will 
not keep well. The longer it boils the darker it becomes. If the juice is very 
watery, and the effort is made to evaporate the water by long boiling, the gela- 
tinizing property is destroyed, and it becomes gummy and will not jelly. 

To Test Jelly. — There are various ways: (1) Drop a little into cold water or 
on a cold plate, stirring it for a few seconds, and if it coagulates it is done; or (2) 
let 1 or 2 drops fall from the skimmer into a glass of cold water; if it reaches the 
bottom a solid drop of jelly, without dissolving in the water, it is done; or (3) dip 
the skimmer in and out, holding it sideways over the jelly; if it runs off in only 
one place it is not cooked enough; if it runs around the skimmer and drips off in 
2 or 3 places in wide thick drops, it is done. 

Hardening Jelly.- Jelly which is not quite as firm as desired can be shrunk 
by setting the glasses in the sun. 

To prevent breaking the glasses when pouring in the hot jelly, several plans are 
in use. One plan is to rub the glass over on the outside with lard or butter, and 
then pour in the first 1 or 2 spoonfuls slowly. Another is to stand the glasses 
while being filled on a folded towel wet with cold water. Another plan is to put 
a silver spoon in the jar; but the folded towel is the best plan. 

Jelly bags should be made of white flannel, and wrung out of hot water, to 
prevent their absorbing too much of the juice. Tie the top of the bag closely 
when the liquor is all in, to prevent the flavor from evaporating. A wooden frame 
on which to tie the jelly-bag while it is dripping, is a convenience. Use the bags 
for nothing but making jelly. 

Waste nothing when making jellies; the pulp can be put up as marmalade 
for tarts and cake fillings. 

To remove jelly from a glass, dip it into hot water for an instant; then take 
it out, and the jelly will come out easily and whole. 



*Note.— Squeezing all the juice out of the hag makes the jelly cloudy; if it is not squeezed 
much of the contents of the baj? are often wasted. To prevent the waste some housewives 
use the juice which will drip through without squeezing, and make a clear jelly for table 
use. The balance they squeeze out, and with it they make a second quality of jelly to use 
for cake, puddings, sauces, etc. It is good, hut not so clear. 



312 JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

The prevention of mold, keeping jellies, etc., are discussed in the preceding 
"General Suggestions" (which see). 

Apple Jelly. — Use good, sour apples; slice them thin, seeds, skins and all; let 
them simmer with only the addition of a little water, until well cooked and soft; 
strain, add 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice, and finish as directed previously for 
making jelly. If desired, a little lemon flavor can be added. 

Plum and Apple Jelly can be made by using 1 part plum juice to 2 parts sour 
apple juice, and finishing like other jelly. It is very good. 

Crab Apple Jelly. — Cut them into pieces, but do not pare or remove the seeds; 
boil until soft in a jar set in hot water, adding barely water enough to cover them; 
mash them, drain off the juice without squeezing; use 1 lb. sugar for each pint of 
juice, and finish as before directed. A little lemon juice can be added for flavor 
if desired; or a little stick cinnamon boiled with the juice and taken out before 
putting in the sugar, is good. 

The pulp and juice which remain can be made into marmalade. Add more 
water and cook to a pulp; strain through a sieve to remove skin, cores and seeds. 
Add brown sugar to the pulp, pound for pound. It needs careful watching and 
stirring to prevent burning. 

Dried Apple Jelly. — Boil the dried apples until tender, strain through the 
jelly-bag, and allow % lb. sugar to the pint of juice; adding a little lemon juice 
will improve the flavor; then finish like other jellies. 

Blackberry Jelly. — Choose berries which are under rather than over ripe; the 
wild berries are best. Cook till soft, adding very little water; strain through the 
jelly bag, and allow 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice. Finish like other jellies. 

Raspberry and Strawberry Jellies are made just the same way. 

Cherry Jelly. — Pick the fruit (Morellos are best) when not quite ripe; wash 
and put on the stove in cold water ivitli the p>its in; let it simmer (not boil) until 
the cherries are white and tender; strain through the jelly bag, allow 1 pint sugar 
to 2 pints juice, and cook briskly until done. Cooks sometimes add % part of red 
currant juice, but cherry jelly can be made without it. Leave the pits in because 
a large part of the pectose is in the pits. 

Cranberry Jelly. — Pick over the cranberries carefully, and put 2 cups water 
in 2 quarts of cranberries; let boil, stirring occasionally, until soft enough to 
mash; strain, and finish like other jellies. Use 1 lb. of sugar to 1 pint of juice. 

Red Currant Jelly. — Choose good, ripe currants; pick them over, but do not 
stem them; wash, drain and mash them in a porcelain kettle; it will darken the 
jelly to heat them now; use a wooden masher; drain over night in the jelly bag, 
but do not squeeze it. Use 1 pint sugar to 1 pint juice; boil and finish as directed 
for jellies. After putting in the hot sugar, let it boil till it thickens when exposed 
to the air on the spoon (which will be in 3 to 5 minutes) and then put it into the 
glasses immediately. A second grade of jelly, not so clear, can be made by 
squeezing the remaining juice out of the currants, and finishing it like jelly. 

Various Jellies. — A very nice jelly is made by using red and white currants in 
equal parts. A raspberry and currant jelly can be made by using 1 part red 
currants and 2 parts red raspberries. It is very fine. A tvild cherry and currant 
jelly can be made by stewing 2 parts wild cherries (stones and all) and 1 part red 
currants. White currant jelly can also be made like other currant jellies. 

Gooseberry Jelly. — Take full-grown, but not quite ripe gooseberries; cover 
with water and boil until they are soft; strain the juice, and allow 1 lb. sugar to 
each pint of juice; finish like other jelly. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 313 

Grape Jelly. — Isabella, Concord or Clinton grapes are best to use; have them 
freshly picked, and finish as directed for other jellies, using 1 lb. of sugar to 1 pint 
of juice. 

Green Grape Jelly.— Use green grapes; wash, stem, and cook till soft with a 
very little water; mash with a wooden pestle, strain through the jelly bag, and 
allow \% lbs. sugar to each pint of juice. Finish like other jelly. It makes the 
nicest jelly there is to go with poultry and game, and is superior to ripe grape 
jelly. 

Peach Jelly. — Use 1 part very sour apple juice to 2 parts peach juice, and 
make like other jellies. Equal parts are sometimes used. A little lemon juice is 
sometimes added. 

Pear Jelly can be made the same as peach jelly. 

Plum Jelly. — Choose the common blue. plums, wash them, cook until soft in a 
porcelain kettle, adding 1 cup water to each 2 quarts of plums; then drain through 
the jelly bag, and finish like other jellies. 

Damson Jelly is made the same way. 

Quince Jelly.— Cut the quinces into small pieces, and put them, skin, seeds 
and all, into a preserving kettle (a large part of the pectose is found in the seeds); 
cover with water and boil till soft; mash, and drain in the jelly bag over night; 
allow 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice, and boil to the jelly degree. The pulp of 
the quinces, left after making the jelly, can be rubbed through a fine colander, 
and, using as much sugar as pulp, boil them together for marmalade. Another 
plan is to use the best portions of the fruit for canning or preserves, and make 
jelly with the hard parts, cores and skin, and this works well. Sour apple juice 
is sometimes mixed with quince juice. 

Rhubarb Jelly. — Cut the rhubarb into pieces about 1 inch long, but do not 
peel it; cook it to a soft pulp in water enough to cover it; strain through the jelly 
bag, and allow 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice; finish like other jelly. Apple and 
rhubarb mixed together, and finished like other jellies, is very nice; flavor it with 
lemon. 

Wild-Plum Jelly. — Gather wild plums just before they ripen; use 7 pints of 
water to 5 pints of plums, and boil until they fall to pieces; then strain through 
the jelly bag; allow 1 lb. sugar to each pint of juice, and boil rapidly to the jelly 
degree. They make very nice jelly. Some cooks boil the plums with water until 
they burst, and then throw it away because of its bitterness; then boil the plums 
again in water to cover them until they fall to pieces; then finish as above. The 
pulp remaining can be made into a good marmalade by using the pulp and sugar 
pound for pound. 

Tutti Frutti Jelly. — Use equal quantities of red currants, red raspberries, 
strawberries and morello cherries; stone the latter carefully saving all juice; mix 
together all the fruit and squeeze it well; after straining through the jelly bag, 
allow 2 lbs. sugar to each pint of juice, and finish like other jelly. 



MARMALADES. 

These are made from the pulp of fruit boiled with sugar. If marmalade is 
made at the same time with jelly, the pulp left from the jelly can be used and 
waste prevented. Rub the pulp through a sieve, and for acid fruits the rule is to 
allow equal weights of sugar and pulp; sweet fruits need a little less. If too 
much sugar is used the sides and tops of the vessels containing the marmalade 



314 JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

will be covered with a coating of sugar, and it will candy or crystallize; fermenta- 
tion will take place if too little sugar is used, or the boiling is insufficient. The 
rule is to boil slowly % to % hour, with frequent stirring to prevent burning. 

To test both marmalade and jam let a spoonful of it cool on a plate; it will be 
done if it looks glittering and dry, and neither moisture nor juice collects on it. 

If the sugar is not added until the fruit is mashed and cooked, less boiling 
will be needed, and the marmalade will be better and smoother. When done, 
put it in glasses as explained in the preceeding "General Suggestions." Keep in 
a cool, dry place. 

The term marmalade is derived from the Portuguese marmelo, meaning a 
quince, to which it was first applied; but it has come to be applied to similar 
preparations of any fruit. Marmalades are very wholesome, and serve to stimulate 
the appetite. 

Grape Marmalade. — Pulp the grapes, but put the skins and pulp together into 
the preserving kettle and let boil. When the skins are tender let cool until you 
can work the mass through a fine colander. Wash the kettle and return the 
strained grapes, set over the fire, and add the same measure of sugar as there is 
of the grape. Let boil 5 minutes and put hot into jelly tumblers. If the grapes 
are not quite ripe the marmalade will be more firm. 

Orange Marmalade. — Pare the yellow rind carefully off of the oranges; remove 
the thick white rind and squeeze the pulp through a sieve; add 1 gill of water to 
4 lbs. fruit, and set on to boil; add the yellow parings of the rind, cut into pieces, 
and boil % hour, or until the rind is soft; the juice, pulp and yellow peel of a 
lemon can be added if liked; add 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. pulp, boil a few minutes and 
put into jelly glasses. 

Rhubarb can be added instead of the lemon if desired; use 1 quart of sliced 
rhubarb for 6 oranges and boil with them. It makes a fine combination and gives 
a variety. 

Peach Marmalade. — Choose fine, ripe peaches; pare, stone and cut them up; 
add a very little water and cook in the farina boiler until reduced to a pulp; pass 
through a colander and allow % lb. sugar to each lb. of pulp; put it on the stove 
and boil until it will jelly, or until it will drop from the spoon in clots. Stir it 
from the bottom with a wooden spoon all the time it is^ on the fire to prevent 
burning. When done, seal in jars. 

Apricots, Apples, Pears, Quinces, and other fruits can be prepared in the 
same way. 

Plum Marmalade. — Stone the plums, and put in the kettle with a very little 
water, boil till the fruit softens, and then mash to a pulp with a wooden pestle; 
do not take it from the stove, but add 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. of pulp, and boil 15 or 
20 minutes longer; then put it in jars. 

Quince Marmalade. — Pare, core and slice the quinces; put the seeds, cores 
and skins in the kettle, add barely enough water to cover them, and boil slowly 
% hour; strain through cloth, and when nearly cold add it to the quinces in the 
farina boiler, and boil until it is reduced to a smooth paste, mashing and stirring 
the quinces with a wooden spoon; if the flavor is desired the juice of 2 oranges 
can be added to each 3 lbs. of pulp; now add % lb. sugar to each pound of fruit, 
and boil 10 minutes longer, stirring continually. Then put in jars. 

No. 2. — Quinces which are not good enough to be utilized in other ways can be 
used; wash, core, but do not pare them, and cut into pieces; add 1 teacup of water 
to each pound of fruit, and boil slowly, mashing and stirring with a wooden 
spoon until soft; add % lb. sugar to 1 lb. pulp; boil them together for 5 or 10 min- 
utes, strain through a colander and put in jelly glasses. 

Sour Apples or Crab Apples can be put up in like manner. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 315 

Raspberry Marmalade. — Either use the raspberries alone, or add 1 cup of red 
currant juice to each 2 lbs. fruit; boil 30 minutes, mashing and stirring well with 
a wooden spoon; add% lb. sugar to every pound of fruit, and cook 20 minutes 
more. 

Blackberry Marmalade can be made the same way, but without any currant 
juice. 

Rhubarb Marmalade. — Cut the rhubarb into pieces 1 or 2 inches long; to each 
1% lbs. of rhubarb allow 1 lb. sugar, % of a lemon peel cut thin, and % oz. of 
bitter almonds blanched and divided. Boil all well together and put up like 
other marmalades. 

Strawberry Marmalade or Jam.— Allow 5 lbs. sugar and 1 lb. currants to 6 
lbs. strawberries; mash the currants in the preserving pan with 1 cup water, put 
it on the stove and boil; then add the strawberries (which should be picked over), 
then press and rub them into an earthenware pan through a fine sieve. Let the 
sugar boil to the consistency of thick molasses, add the fruit pulp, and boil 
briskly, with constant stirring, for 20 minutes. Skim it, and put into jars. 

Tomato Marmalade. — First scald, peel and slice the tomatoes; allow 2 lbs. sugar 
to 1 lb. tomatoes, and boil them down together until well thickened; then add 1 
tablespoon powdered ginger, and the juice and peel of 2 lemons, for every 3 lbs. 
of tomatoes. Roil about 3 hours, skimming off the froth that rises; when very 
thick put in jars. 

FRUIT CHEESES. 

Fruit cheeses are somewhat like marmalades, and they are generally used for 
desserts. Stone fruits, like plums, quinces, etc., make the best. The method is 
usually to boil the fruit until it- is soft enough to pass through a sieve, and then 
the pulp is boiled with sugar until it will solidify when cold. Cherries are often 
used, and gooseberries sometimes. 

Apricot Cheese. — Wipe apricots, cut them into pieces, and take equal quanti- 
ties by weight of apricots and sugar; wipe the inside of the preserving pan with 
fine salad oil, put in the fruit, and boil it to a pulp, stirring all the time; add 
the sugar, continue to stir, and boil sharply till it is a golden brown; it will cling 
to the spoon when done, and leave the pan clear. Pour it into small molds and 
cover. It takes about 6 hours to make. Some people blanch and shred the 
kernels, and add them. 

Almack Cheese. — Split 4 doz. plums, and take out the stones; pare, core, and 
slice 2 doz. pears and 2 doz. apples; put the whole in layers into a stone jar, and 
put them into a cool oven; when sufficiently tender press them through a coarse 
sieve into a preserving pan, and stir in 1 lb. of sugar to every pound of fruit. Stir 
them over a moderate fire until very firm. Cut into slices after it has become 
sufficiently cool. 

Quince Cheese. — This is simply marmalade which has been boiled down very 
thick, and put into little jars. It will be as solid as cheese when turned out, and 
it can be served for tea or luncheon, cut into slices like cheese. 

Plum Cheese. — Add enough water to keep from burning, and boil the plums; 
now mash them, strain, and add ~% lb. good brown sugar to 1 lb. plums; boil 
down until thick, with continual stirring, and put in small jars. It will turn out 
firm as cheese, and can be served for tea or luncheon cut in slices. 

FRUIT PASTES. 

These are a kind of marmalade, consisting of the pulp of fruits, first evaporated 
to a proper consistency, and then boiled with sugar. The mixture is then poured 
into a mold, or spread on sheets of tin, and afterwards dried in the oven or on the 
stove until it assumes the form of a paste. Strips may be cut from one of these 



m JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

sheets and formed into any shape desired. Use only fine white sugar for these 
pastes. Use a wooden spoon to stir them with, and watch them carefully, as if 
they burn in cooking it will spoil them. The cakes can be cut up and kept in tin 
or paper boxes with layers of paper between; they are fine with desserts. 

Apple Paste.— Choose sound ripe apples, peel, core them, and cook in a little 
water till quite soft; rub them through a hair sieve, using a wooden spoon; weigh 
the pulp and put it in the preserving pan, with the same weight of sugar, and 
boil 20 minutes; remove it, spread out thin on plates or in molds, and dry in a 
cool oven or on a cool stove. If desired it can be colored with some of the veget- 
able colors elsewhere given. 

Apricot Paste. — Use ripe apricots; put them in a preserving pan with a little 
sugar, and place them on the side of the range to reduce them to a paste; rub 
them through a hair sieve, allow % lb. sugar to 1 lb. pulp, and boil it 10 minutes; 
then finish like apple paste. 

Currant Paste. —Take red or white currants, pick them over carefully, rub 
through a sieve, and put the mashed fruit in a pan on the fire, stirring it until it 
forms a paste; allow 1% lbs. sugar for 1 lb. pulp, mix them together, and boil 20 
minutes. Finish like other paste. 

Orange Paste.— Press the juice out of 5 Seville oranges, and boil them until 
the rinds are very soft indeed; with a thin wooden or silver spoon scoop out all 
the pulp, and pound the rinds as fine as possible in a mortar with ^ the extracted 
juice. Rub it all through a hair sieve, and simmer on the fire until it becomes 
like marmalade. Empty it out, weigh it, and allow 2 lbs. sugar for 1 lb. pulp; 
boil it 10 minutes, and spread out and dry like apple paste. 

Lemon Paste can be made the same way, but do not use any of the juice. 

Peach Paste. — Cut the peaches into small pieces, and cook, with barely enough 
water to cover them, until reduced to a pulp; allow ^ R>- sugar to 1 lb. pulp, and 
boil 20 minutes; finish like other paste. 

Plum Paste. — Any kind of preserving plums will do; stone them and boil, with 
very little water, to a jam; rub through a hair sieve, put on the stove, and reduce 
to a paste; allow 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. pulp, and cook 20 minutes; finish like other 
paste. 

Raspberry Paste. — Take 2 quarts of ripe red raspberries, put them in an 
earthen jar and place it in a kettle of boiling water; boil until the juice is well 
separated, then pulp them through a fine colander. Mix with the fruit an equal 
weight of sugar, put it in a sauce-pan, and cook until it is a firm paste— stirring 
constantly to prevent burning; spread on plates to nearly dry in the oven, then 
cut it in squares cover both sides well with pulverized sugar, and pack in paper 
boxes with layers of white paper between. 

Strawberry Paste can be made the same way. 



JAMS. 

These are made with large fruit cut into small pieces, or with whole small 
fruits. In making common jams the fruit should be well boiled before the sugar 
is added, and care should be taken that it is not so much thickened that the 
sugar will not easily dissolve. The old rule was equal amounts of fruit and sugar, 
but acid fruits require more sugar than those which are sweet. If they burn at 
all in cooking the flavor is spoiled; to prevent this close attention is needed and 
constant stirring. Jam will not keep well unless sufficiently boiled, and enough 
sugar is used, but do not use too much sugar. 

As jams and preserves made from stone fruits are apt to ferment, care should 






JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 317 

be taken to get rid of the moisture, and only enough water added in cooking to 
simply prevent burning. 

In the "General Suggestions" previously given we explain about putting jams 
into glasses or jars when done. The hardening of fruit is discussed under pre- 
serves, but mashing also prevents hardening. 

Apple Jam. — Pare, core and slice the apples; boil them till soft, add % lb. 
sugar for 1 lb. fruit, and cook till done. A fine flavor will be imparted by tying 
in muslin a little lemon peel, ginger and cloves, and boiling it with the fruit; 
take it out when the jam is done. 

Blackberry Jam. — Take 5 lbs. of fruit, mash it, and boil 10 minutes; then add 
7 lbs. sugar, and boil 20 minutes, stirring to keep from burning. Put into the 
glasses hot; tie up when cold. 

Cherry Jam. — Before stoning the cherries weigh them, and to 1 lb. cherries 
allow % lb. sugar; then stone them and boil until the juice is nearly evaporated, 
stirring constantly; then add the sugar, and add also 1 pint of red currant juice 
for each Gibs, of cherries used, and add also 1 lb. sugar for each pint of currant 
juice used; then finish like other jams. 

Red Currant Jam. — Pick over the currants carefully, and allow % lb. sugar to 
each pound fruit; let them simmer in the farina boiler until soft; then set aside 
until next morning, and cook them gently in a porcelain kettle 25 minutes; then 
put into glasses. 

White Currant and Barberry Jam can be made the same w ay, but for barber- 
ries allow 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. berries. 

Gooseberry Jam. — Pick the gooseberries just as they begin to turn; stem, 
wash and weigh them; to 4 lbs. of fruit add % teacup of water, boil until soft, 
then add 1 lbs. sugar, and boil until clear. The jam will be clear and amber- 
colored if the fruit is picked at the right stage, and much nicer than if it is not 
picked until fully ripe. 

Grape Jam. — Allow % lb. sugar to 1 lb. grapes; squeeze the pulp from the skin; 
boil the pulp a few minutes and remove the seeds by passing through a sieve; 
then add the skins and sugar, boil until it thickens, and put up like other jam. 

Green Grape Jam is made the same way. 

Orange Jam. — Sweet oranges are best; remove the rind and then the seeds by 
passing it through a colander or sieve; to 1 lb. pulp and juice allow 1 lb. sugar; 
boil 10 minutes, add the sugar and cook till done; put up like other jams. 

Pineapple Jam. — Pare it, cut in small pieces, and cook in just enough water 
to cover until tender. Allow % lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit; make the sugar into a 
syrup, add the pineapple and boil 10 minutes; then put up like other jams. 

Plum Jam. — Allow % lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit before it is stoned; then take out 
the stones and stew the fruit in a little water till soft; pass it through a coarse 
sieve, add the sugar, and cook until done. Put up like other jam. 

Quince Jam. — Cook any desired amount of quinces until soft in as little water 
as possible without burning; pour off the water and rub the fruit with a wooden 
spoon until smooth; add 10 oz. sugar to 1 lb. fruit, let it boil 20 minutes, and 
remove it from the fire; put up like other jams. 

Raspberry Jam. — Mash the berries, and treat as directed for strawberries. 
If 2 parts raspberries and 1 part red currants are mixed it makes a fine jam, or 
add a little currant juice. 

Rhubarb Jam. — Allow 1 lb. sugar for 1 lb. rhubarb; cut up the fruit into small 
pieces, put on the sugar, and let it stand several hours, or until next morning; 
then take out the fruit, and boil the syrup until it thickens; then put in the fruit 



318 JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

and let it simmer gently until done, stirring it to prevent its burning; then put 
in glasses. 

Strawberry Jain.— Hull the berries, put them over the fire, and boil gently % 
hour, keeping them constantly stirred; allow % lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit; remove 
the berries from the tire, add the sugar, and then boil them again % hour. Then 
put in jars as before directed. 

Tomato Jam. Use equal weights of sugar and tomatoes; peel and slice them, 
add the sugar, and let simmer gently until done, which should be in about an 
hour. A pleasant flavor may be imparted by tying lemon peel and ginger in a 
muslin bag, and letting it cook with the fruit, lifting it out when that is cooked. 



PRESERVES. 

The fruit used for preserves should be perfectly sound, fresh and ripe, and 
use good sugar. If you would have good preserves work carefully. A very large 
amount is less easily handled than less. 

The old rule of pound for pound of sugar and fruit is hardly reliable, because 
fruits differ so much in sweetness. If too much sugar is used the fruit may be 
unpleasantly sweet, and very little of the fruit flavor left. 

Cooking the Fruit.— Large fruits should cook until a broom straw will readily 
pierce them. To avoid burning, boil them gently. They must be soft enough to 
be readily penetrated by the sugar (as that is what preserves them) but that is 
all. Over boiling is to be avoided, and small fruit especially, like strawberries 
and raspberries, are spoiled if much cooked. The object aimed at is to have the 
sugar thoroughly permeate the fruit enough to preserve it, but without injuring 
its shape more than necessary. Fruit is darkened in color and its flavor injured 
by long boiling. Small fruits and berries should be taken out of the syrup, when 
done, with a small strainer, as a cup will not separate the syrup from them. 

When the fruit has simmered in the syrup until done quite through, it may 
be taken out with a skimmer and set on dishes to cool; then boil up the syrup 
until it begins to jelly, put back the fruit, boil it up once, and then put it into 
jars. Another way is to put the fruit directly into jars instead of on dishes to 
cool; then boil the syrup and pour it over, and tie up as directed in the "General 
Suggestions" at the beginning of this section. Either method works Well. 

Hardening Fruit. — Those fruits like strawberries, tomatoes, peaches, apples, 
etc., which are liable in cooking to become too soft, can be allowed to stand a few 
hours with sugar on them, or pour on hot syrup; this hardens them by extracting 
the juice. There are some fruits like citrons, quinces, pineapples, etc., which 
harden if put into strong syrup at first; to avoid this they can be cooked first in 
water or weak syrup until tender, and then the balance of the sugar added. 

Canned fruit can be used in making preserves, and then less sugar is needed. 
Adding a few slices of lemon or orange will improve the flavor. 

Keeping Preserves. — Preserves keep better in glass than in earthenware vessels, 
but they should be wrapped in paper to keep the light from bleaching them; keep 
in a cool, dark, dry place. 

To Clarify and Prepare Syrup — A good syrup can be made with 2 pints 
granulated or loaf sugar, and 2 cups water; put them in a porcelain kettle, and 
stir in the white of 1 egg beaten light but not dry; bring it slowly to a boil, stir- 
ring frequently, and then at once move to the back of the range, cover it, and let 
it simmer gently, not boil rapidly, for % hour; then take off the cover and remove 
the cake of thick white scum appearing on top. The syrup will be clear and 
ready for use. White of egg, being albumen, coagulates at 160°, and as it rises 
to the surface it acts like a strainer, carrying the impurities with it; hard 
boiling breaks it into small grains, and it does not strain well. Small fruits, 
like strawberries, raspberries, currants, etc., put into this syrup will retain 
their form, color, and their fresh and natural taste. Juicy fruits require a rich 
syrup, like the above, but dry fruits which require long cooking need a thinner 
syrup made of equal parts of water and sugar. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 319 

Graining. — A little acid added to syrup will prevent graining, as explained 
for candy making. 

Apple Preserves.- Choose firm.well-flavored apples, and proceed as directed for 
quinces. They can be improved by adding the juice of 1 lemon to each 1% lbs. of 
apples; or cut up and add a little quince. 

Preserved Apricots. — Stone' and pare 1 lb. of the finest apricots, put them into 
a preserving pan, and dust on some double refined sugar; have ready and add 1 
cup of the juice of white currants, pressed out of raw berries; use 1% lbs. loaf 
sugar, putting in half of it first, and adding the balance at 2 different times 
during the cooking. Boil them over a slow fire, and when done put them up, 
putting 2 or 3 in a glass; be careful not to break them in the skimming. A little 
more boiling makes it jam. 

Crab Apple Preserves. — The red Siberian crab is the best. Pick out those 
nearly perfect, leaving the stems on; put them in the preserving kettle with 
enough warm water to cover them, heat this to boiling slowly, and simmer until 
the skins break. Drain and skin them; then with a pen-knife extract the cores 
through the blossom ends. Weigh them, allow 1% ^ s - sugar and a gill of water 
to every pound of fruit. Boil the water and sugar together until the scum ceases 
to rise, put in the fruit, cover the kettle, and simmer until the apples are a clear 
red and tender. Take out with a skimmer, spread upon dishes to cool and harden; 
add to the syrup the juice of 1 lemon to 3 lbs. fruit, and boil until clear and rich. 
Fill jars % full with apples, pour in the syrup, and when cool, tie up. 

Barberry Preserves. — Use 1 lb. sugar and 1 cup water to 1 lb. of barberries; 
prepare the syrup and put in the barberries; let them cook until the syrup is 
quite thick, which will probably be in about 2 hours. Then put them up in jars 
with enough syrup to keep them. The rest of the syrup can be strained, put 
in bottles, and corked tight, and it can be used to make a delightful and a refresh- 
ing drink. 

Blackberry Preserves. — Choose the best berries, pick them over, and allow 1 
lb. sugar to 1 lb. berries; let them stand for 1 or 2 hours spread on dishes with 
the sugar sprinkled on; then put them on the stove in a porcelain kettle, adding 
all the juice which came from them, and heat slightly. Now take them out, put- 
ting them on the plates, and boil the syrup for 5 minutes rapidly; then put back 
the berries, and let them simmer {not boil); if they show a tendency to break, 
take them from the stove at once. Cool them slightly, and put in jelly glasses. 

Currants and Dewberries are put up the same way. 

Preserved Cberries. — Select short-stemmed red cherries, or Morellos, as sweet 
cherries are not suitable for preserving. Stone them, and save every drop of the 
juice; allow 1 lb. sugar to each pound of fruit; first put in a layer of sugar, then 
a layer of fruit, and so on until all are put in; let them stand 2 or 3 hours, pour 
over the juice, and boil gently until the syrup begins to thicken; then put in jars. 
Adding 3 tablespoons of red currant juice to each lb. of fruit is an improvement. 

Currants may be put up the same way. White currants make fine preserves. 

Citron Melon. — Pare and cut the melons into small pieces about % inch square. 
Put in a porcelain kettle; cover with water and boil until tender, butnot to break; 
then put them in a cloth strainer and hang up to drain over night. The next day 
weigh the melon, and with an equal weight of granulated sugar make enough 
syrup to cover the melon, then boil gently until the melon is clear. By this time 
the syrup will have become quite thick. Set away in the kettle to stand over 
night, or until it is cooled through. Allow 4 lemons to every pound of the pre- 



320 JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

serves. Squeeze and strain the lemon juice onto the preserves, and with the hand 
lift and gently mix all together, being careful not to break the cubes of melon. 
Put cold into glass jars; place a few cloves, from which the heads have been 
taken, on the top of each jar; screw the cover on tightly, and put in a dark cool 
place. It must be a month old before using. This is a delicious sweetmeat. Be 
sure that the lemons are not bitter. 

Citron Preserves. — These should be made as late in the season as possible, 
when the melons are ripest. After paring, cut into fancy shapes, but not too 
small. Cook till tender, in just water enough to cover, with a large spoonful of 
alum added. Drain the pieces well, and then cook % hour in the preserving 
syrup, with the juice of several lemons added, omitting the rind, as it is apt to 
impart a bitter taste. In a few weeks this citron may be taken from the syrup, 
drained, dipped in powdered sugar, and dried on plates in the sun, when it is 
very nice for cake, to add to its flavor and beauty. If this is to be done on a large 
scale, however, the pieces of citron should be quite large for convenience. 

Cranberry Preserves. — Allow 1 lb. sugar to each pound of berries; make a 
strong syrup by adding water, using only enough water to dissolve the sugar; put 
in the fruit, boil until tender, and put into glasses. 

Preserved Black Currants. — Pick over the currants and cook till all are 
broken. Add % as much sugar (measured) as you have fruit. Cook J^ hour 
longer and seal. This is excellent for a sore throat. 

Fig Preserves.— Gather the fruit when fully ripe but not cracked open; place 
it in a perforated tin bucket or wire screen, and dip it for a moment in a deep 
kettle of lye, hot and moderately strong (some prefer to let them lay an hour in 
limewater, draining them afterwards). Allow 1 lb. of sugar to 1 lb. figs, make it 
into a syrup; drain the figs, put them in, and boil until well cooked; skim out the 
figs and boil down the syrup until there is just enough to cover the figs; put the 
figs back in the syrup, let all boil, put into glasses while hot, and seal. 

Green Fig Preserves. — Lay the figs in cold water for 24 hours; then simmer 
them until tender; put them again in cold water, and let them remain 2 days, 
changing the water each day. Then if you do not find them soft, give them 
another simmer and put them again into cold water until the next day. Then 
take 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit, and with % of it make a syrup and simmer the figs 
in it for 10 minutes. In 2 days take the remaining % of the sugar and pour the 
syrup from the figs on it. Make a rich syrup, adding the peel of a lemon and a little 
raw ginger, and boil the figs in it; then mix all together and put into large jam- 
pots, and tie them closely over. The figs may be cut in half if preferred, after 
they have simmered until soft. 

Tomato Figs. — These, although made from tomatoes,will nearly approach true 
figs, and will keep as long as desired. Select good tomatoes, scald, skin them, and 
allow 1% lbs. best brown sugar to each 4 lbs. tomatoes. Let them simmer gently in 
the sugar until they cook clear, and the sugar permeates them thoroughly (add 
no water), and then take them out and dry them, spread on dishes in the sun; 
while they are drying sprinkle a little syrup on them. Pack them in layers with 
sugar between, in boxes or jars. While drying do not let rain or dew fall on 
them. 

Green Ginger Preserves. — Put the ginger for 2 weeks every night and morn- 
ing into boiling water; then pare off the outside skin with a sharp knife. Boil it 
in water till quite soft, and slice it into thin slices. Prepare a syrup of 1 lb. sugar 
to 1^ pint water, clarify it, put in the ginger, and boil till it is clear. Let it cool 
before putting it in jars. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 321 

Mock Ginger Preserves. — Boil small tender carrots, scrape them until free of 
all spots, and cut out the heart or middle portion. Steep them for several days 
in frequently changed water, until the flavor of the carrot has been completely 
destroyed. Allow 1 quart of water, 2 lbs. sugar, 2 oz. whole ginger, and the thin 
peel (yellow only) of 1 lemon to each pound of prepared carrots. Boil ^ hour 
daily until the carrots are transparent. When done, add enough red pepper to 
make the preserves as hot as desired. 

Gooseberry Preserves.— Allow 1 lb. sugar to each pound of gooseberries; top 
and tail them, and put the berries and sugar into a deep jar in alternate layers; 
pour on enough red currant juice to dissolve the sugar and add the same weight 
of sugar; cook it next day in the preserving pan, and put it in glasses. 

Green Gooseberry Preserves. — Top, tail and wash the gooseberries in cold 
water, and drain; then pour on boiling water and let stand a few minutes to 
scald; this will soften them and extract part of their acid; when tender, take them 
out with a skimmer and slip them into cold water, leave a few minutes and take 
out with the skimmer, and slide carefully into the syrup; have the syrup made 
with 3 cups water and 134 lbs. sugar for each lb. of gooseberries; let them simmer 
slowly in the syrup until quite clear — about 20 minutes; if they seem likely to 
break take them out sooner with the skimmer, and let the syrup boil a little 
longer; put them in the jars, and when cold pour on the syrup, and tie up. 

Grape Preserves. — Pick from the stem, wash, drain, and weigh, and allow an 
equal weight of sugar; then press the skin from the pulp with the thumb and 
finger, and cook the pulp gently; when the seeds loosen pass it through a sieve to 
remove them. Then put the skins into the juice, cover, and simmer gently until 
tender; add the sugar, keep it hot, without boiling, 15 minutes, and can. 

Greengage Preserves. — Prick the plums with a fine needle to prevent their 
breaking; put them into a preserving pan with only enough water to cover them, 
and set them over a gentle fire until the water simmers; then take them out and 
set them on a sieve to drain Add to the water in which the plums were boiled 
1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. plums; boil it quickly, skimming it as the scum rises, until 
the syrup thickens on the spoon; then put in the plums, let them boil until the 
sugar bubbles, and pour the whole into a basin; let it stand until the next day. 
Drain the syrup from the fruit, boil it up quickly, and pour it over the plums. 
Repeat this for 4 days, which cooks the fruit without injuring the shape; then 
boil it in the syrup for 5 or 6 minutes, put into jars, and pour the syrup over. 
The kernels must be blanched and boiled with the fruit. 

Damsons can be put up the same way. 

Huckleberry Preserves. — Use %. lb. of sugar and the juice of half a lemon to 
each lb. of huckleberries; put half the sugar on the berries, and let stand a few 
hours or over night; then drain off the juice, add 1 cup water, the lemon juice, 
and the balance of the sugar; set it on the stove till the sugar dissolves, boil 
quickly, and skim; then put in the berries and let it simmer merely until they 
are tender — about % hour; then take them out, put in jars, and when cold, pour 
on the syrup and tie up. 

Preserved Lemons. — Pare off the thin yellow skin carefully, cut a small hole 
in the end, scoop out the pulp carefully with a silver spoon, rub each one with 
salt and drop it into clear cold water as fast as finished, which will prevent its 
turning dark; let them lie in it for 5 or 6 days, and then boil them in fresh salt 
and water 15 minutes. Have ready made a thin syrup of 1 quart of water to 1 lb. 
sugar; drain, and boil them in this for 5 minutes, and repeat once a day for 4 or 5 
21 



322 JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

days; then put them in jars with the syrup and let them stand 6 or 8 weeks, as 
that will make them clear and plump; then take them out of the syrup. Make a 
fresh syrup of double refined sugar, with only enough water to moisten it; boil 
and skim it, put in the lemons, and let them simmer slowly until they are clear. 
Put them in small jars, covered as previously directed, and tie them up tight. 

Mulberry Preserves. — Put about % lb. of mulberries into a preserving pan 
with 1 gill water to prevent burning; simmer slowly over a slow fire until all the 
juice is extracted; strain it through a fine sieve, and add 3% lbs. of sugar to each 
1% pints juice. Put the sugar into the preserving pan, pour the strained juice 
on it, boil up, and skim it well. Then add 3 lbs. of ripe mulberries, and let them 
stand in the syrup until warm; then boil them slowly for about % hour, and 
turn them out carefully into a china bowl until the next day; then repeat the 
boiling % hour, or until the syrup is thick and will jelly when cold. Put into 
jelly glasses, set away to cool, and then tie up. Care must be taken not to break 
the mulberries when boiling. 

Muskmelons. — Choose ripe muskmelons, remove the seeds, peel, cut in pieces, 
put into a stone jar, and cover with scalding vinegar; let them stand until the 
next day, pour off the vinegar, heat it, and pour on them again; repeat this every 
day for 4 days. To each 5 lbs. of fruit allow 1 quart of vinegar, 3 lbs. sugar, and 
spices to suit; put all together, and simmer until the melons are tender; then set 
aside, and the second day pour off the syrup, and boil it down so there will be 
just enough to cover the melons. Then put in glasses. 

Preserved Oranges. — Select very ripe oranges, cut a small hole in the stalk 
end, and scoop out the pulp with a silver spoon very clean, and be careful not to 
break the rind; save all the juice by holding the orange over a bowl while scoop- 
ing it out, and drop each one into a basin of cold water as fast as done; then drain 
them, put into a porcelain kettle, and pour on enough boiling water to cover 
them, having dissolved in it 1 teaspoon of alum to each % gallon of water; let 
them simmer gently in this solution, until almost transparent and clear; now 
drain them, put into cold water, change it 2 or 3 times, and let them stand until 
next morning, then drain again, pour on boiling water to cover, and again gently 
simmer for 1% hours, and drain them; now allow 1 lb. of sugar and 1 cup water 
for each pound of the rinds, and make the sugar and water into a syrup; then put 
in the oranges, together with the juice which was saved, and gently simmer until 
they are clear and tender; then take them out, lay them on dishes to dry, and set 
-away 2 days, and the syrup also. Now take 4 fresh oranges for each 1 which is 
being preserved, cut them in two, extract the juice, and allow 1)^ lbs. sugar to 
each pint of it. Put this sugar and juice on the fire, and as soon as the sugar 
dissolves, boil it quickly to a thick jelly, which should be in about 20 minutes; 
test it and it will be done if a teaspoon of it hardens at once when set in a saucer 
in a cool place. Now put this jelly into the oranges, filling them full, and let it 
harden until the next morning. Then put them in glasses with the opened end 
down, and pour on the first syrup, and tie them up. They will be found a deli- 
cious preserve. 

Lemons and Limes can be put up in the same manner. 

Preserved Oranges No. 2. — Select good oranges and boil them in soft water 
until you can run a broom straw through the skin. Allow % lb. sugar for 1 lb. 
oranges, make it into a syrup, clarify it; then drain the oranges from the water, 
pour on the hot syrup, and let them stand in it over night. Boil them in the 
syrup the next day until it is thick and clear; then put them in jars, pour the 
strained syrup on them, and tie up. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES- 323 

Orange and Rhubarb Preserves. — Take 6 oranges and carefully peel off the 
thin yellow rind; remove the white rind and the seeds, and slice the pulp into a 
preserving pan, adding the yellow rind cut very fine. Add 1 quart of rhubarb cut 
fine, and 1 lb. to Y% lbs. sugar, and boil the whole down and put up like any other 
preserves. 

Peach Preserves. — Select fine ripe peaches; pare, halve and stone them; allow 
1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit, and put a layer of sugar in the kettle, then a layer of 
peaches, and so on alternately until all is used. Cover and let it stand until the 
next morning; then bring to a boil quickly, and let it simmer merely, until the 
fruit is clear and tender. Blanch and add 4 peach kernels for each pound of 
fruit, for flavor, when it begins to boil. Then lift out the fruit carefully, and put 
it into glasses; boil the syrup until thick (about 15 minutes) and pour it over. 

Apricots and Nectarines can be put up in the same way. 

Pears can be put up in like manner, but they should be pared; leave the stems 
on, and if small put them up whole. Add no peach kernels. 

Preserving Peaches Without Cooking. —Brush the down from the peaches, 
and put them into a deep dish; pour enough boiling water on to cover them, and 
lay a thickly-folded towel over the dish, and let it stand until the water is nearly 
cold; then take out the peaches one by one and rub off the skins with a coarse 
towel. Then put a layer of sugar in a jar, then a layer of peaches, cover them 
thickly with sugar, and so on alternately, having sugar on top. Close and seal 
them down at once, and keep in a cool, dry place. Removing the skins by the 
use of hot water as above directed, is much easier than paring them. 

Preserved Pears. — If large, they can be pared and quartered; if small, they can 
be pared and put up whole. Allow equal weights of fruit and sugar; make the 
sugar into a syrup, using 1 cup of water to the pound; when clear, put in the 
fruit and heat it through; then take it out and cool it; then put it back and cook 
until soft, and then put in jars. A clove stuck in the end of each pear before 
cooking imparts a pleasant, flavor. Some people stew a few slices of lemon peel 
in the syrup for flavoring. 

Preserved Pineapple. — Pare off the rough outside carefully, that nothing be 
lost, and slice the fruit; put it in a preserving pan, add 1 teacup of water to each 
pound of fruit, and boil gently until it is tender and clear; then take it out with 
a skimmer, add 1 lb. of sugar to 1 lb. of fruit; stir until it is dissolved, then put 
in the pineapple and let it boil gently until it is transparent throughout; then 
take out the fruit, cool it, and put it into glass jars. Let the syrup simmer gen- 
tly until it is thick and rich, and when nearly cool pour it over the fruit, and the 
next day seal up the jars. Pineapple is often put directly into the syrup without 
first boiling in water, but it is then tougher and not so good. 

Persimmons. — See "Keeping Provisions." 

Preserved Plums. —(1) Weigh them and allow 1 lb. sugar to 1 lb. plums; put 
a layer of sugar in a stone jar, then a layer of plums, and so on alternately until 
all are in, finishing with sugar; now put them in a moderate oven, and leave them 
until the oven cools, or put them in at tea-time, and let them stay all night; then 
boil and clarify the juice, after straining it from the plums; put the fruit in 
glasses, pour on the hot syrup, and tie up. (2) Another way is to allow $£ lb. 
sugar to each pound of fruit. Divide the plums, take out the stones, and put 
them on a dish with sugar strewed over; the next day put them into a preserving 
pan and let them simmer gently over a nice fire for about 30 minutes; then boil 
them quickly, removing the scum as it rises, and keep them constantly stirred, or 



324 JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 

the fruit will stick to the bottom of the pan. Crack the stones, and add the 
kernels to the preserves when it boils. Then put up like other preserves. 

Pumpkin Preserves. — Choose a good sweet pumpkin, pare, take out the seeds 
and cut into slices. Allow 1 lb. sugar and 1 gill of lemon juice for 1 lb. of pump- 
kin. Put the pumpkin in a deep dish in layers, with the sugar sprinkled between, 
and pour the lemon juice on top; let stand 2 or 3 days, and then boil all together, 
adding 1 cup water for each 3 lbs. sugar used, until the pumpkin is tender; then 
let it stand for 1 week, when drain off the syrup, boil until it is quite thick, skim, 
and pour it hot over the pumpkin. A little bruised ginger and lemon rind thinly 
pared may be boiled in the syrup to flavor the pumpkin. 

Quince Preserves. — Take fine yellow quinces, and pare, quarter and core them 
(save cores and skins); add just water enough to cover the quinces, set them on 
the stove and simmer until soft, but not until they begin to break; carefully 
remove the fruit, spread it on dishes to cool, and into the water in which the 
quinces were boiled put the cores, seeds and parings; stew it 1 hour, covered 
closely, and strain it through a jelly bag; add 1 lb. sugar for each pint of this 
liquor, boil it up, skim, and put in the quinces, and boil gently 25 minutes; let it 
stand in a deep dish, closely covered, 24 hours; then drain off the syrup, bring it 
to a boil, put in the fruit carefully, and boil ^ hour; then take it out as dry as 
possible, spread it on dishes to cool, and boil the syrup down thick; fill jars % 
full of the fruit, and pour on the syrup. The preserves should be of a fine red 
color. An equal amount of sweet apples can be cooked with the quinces (and 
without additional sugar), and the difference will hardly be noticed. 

Strawberry Preserves. — Select the largest berries, and use equal weights of 
strawberries and sugar; lay the fruit in deep dishes, and sprinkle % the sugar 
over them in fine powder; shake the dish so that the sugar may touch the under 
part of the fruit. The next day make a syrup with the remainder of the sugar 
and the juice drawn from the strawberries and boil until it jellies; then put in 
the strawberries carefully, and let them simmer nearly an hour. Put them care- 
fully in glass jars and fill up with the syrup; there will be more than enough to 
fill the jars, but after standing over night the jars will hold more. Any syrup 
remaining can be used in making pudding sauces, etc. Putting strawberries up 
whole thus, is much the best way. 

Raspberries can be put up the same way. 

Green Tomato Preserves. — Select small, even-sized tomatoes for preserving. 
To each 3 lbs. tomatoes take 2 fresh lemons; pare off the yellow rind thin, so as 
to leave the white part, and squeeze out the juice. First boil the tomatoes in water 
sufficient to cover them, until they begin to get tender; add the lemon and a few 
peach leaves and powdered ginger tied in muslin bags; boil together until the 
tomatoes are tender, take them out carefully, strain the liquor, and add to it 1% 
lbs. sugar for each pound tomatoes; put the tomatoes back into the syrup, and 
boil until they appear to be done. In the course of a week pour the syrup from 
the tomatoes, heat it scalding hot, and pour it again on the tomatoes; then tie up. 

Ripe Tomato Preserves. — For these use for 8 lbs. tomatoes, 7 lbs. sugar, and the 
juice of 4 lemons. Peel the tomatoes, and let lemons, sugar and tomatoes stand 
together over night; drain off the syrup and boil it, skimming it well; then put 
in the tomatoes and allow them to boil gently and steadily for 20 minutes. Take 
them out with the skimmer and spread .them on dishes to cool. Boil down the 
syrup until it thickens, put the tomatoes in jars and pour the syrup over them 
hot. 



JAMS, JELLIES, MARMALADES AND PRESERVES. 325 

Preserved Watermelon and Cantelope Rinds.— It is a good plan to keep these 
rinds in a strong solution of salt and water until they are needed for preserving; 
the salt can then be removed by boiling them in fresh water. Now soak them 
in alum water (have it weak) for a little while, and then again boil in clear water 
until the alum taste disappears. Allow for every pound of rind 2 lbs. sugar, and 
make it into a rich syrup, clarifying it; then boil the rind for 1 hour in this syrup. 
Adding a little acid will keep the syrup from graining. Flavor with lemon if 
desired. 



CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 

When it is properly done fruits and vegetables canned at home are both bet- 
ter and cheaper than those bought at stores. Select sound, fresh fruit, and use 
good sugar. 

The first record of canning appears in a paper submitted to the English Soci- 
ety of Arts in 1807, by Mr. Saddington; but M. Appert who first put it into use on 
a large scale (about 1809) has generally received the credit for its discovery. 
Canning in its present form dates from a patent granted in 1823 to Pierre Angil- 
bert. 

The Principles Involved.— The principles underlying the process of canning have 
been quite generally misunderstood, and successful fruit canning has been by many people 
supposed to depend upon the observance of certain methods which would result in the 
expulsion of the air, and the directions have been to boil fruit to expel the air, to heat the 
jars very hot, to stir the contents that all air bubbles may escape, to till to overflowing, and 
seal immediately. It is impossible by any heating process to expel all the air. However 
full jars may be filled with hot fruit, when cold there is more or less air at the top. The 
correct reason for heating fruit is not to expel the air, but to destroy minute, living germs 
(bacteria*) that to a greater or less extent are always floating in the air, and which alight 
upon fruit and all other substances. These germs especially abound in the atmosphere in 
the season when fruits ripen. Under favorable conditions they multiply with marvelous 
rapidity, and in a remarkably short space of time entirely change the composition of fruit 
and its juices. This disorganization of the fruit takes place to a greater or less extent 
according to the readiness with which the germs find access thereto, and the f avorableness 
of the surrounding conditions. Experiment has demonstrated, beyond a reasonable doubt, 
that most of the bacteria which produce fermentation (for there are many varieties of 
them) cannot exist in a temperature above 140°, and nearly all die at 130° to 135°. The 
spores, however, (corresponding to seeds) are more tenacious of life than the developed 
bacteria, but these are all killed at the temperature of boiling water if submitted to its 
action for some time, for they do not all die instantly, even at that temperature. It should 
also be said that the bacteria flourish best in a neutral or alkaline solution, while an acid 
solution is unfavorable to them, and the acid nature of many of the fruit juices hastens 
their destruction. Furthermore it is difficult to arrange so that the central parts of a can 
shall receive the same amount of heat as the surface, particularly in the case of solidly 
packed goods, like corn and beans, so that they need to be cooked for some time. These 
being the principles involved, canning resolves itself simply into killing all the bacteria 
and spores, and preventing any new ones from obtaining access to the fruit, and the 
simplest and most effectual method of doing this is the best. 

Fruit has often been cooked more tnan was necessary, but the housewife need not be 
troubled by having her fruit "go all to pieces" and get "mussy" when being canned, if she 
handles it intelligently. Enclosing air in the can when it is sealed will do no harm, provided 
such air has been heated hot enough to kill all germs floating in it. If the cans are not 
sealed perfectly air tight, cold, unsterilized air will in time enter the can, carrying in living 
germs. These are so infinitesimally small that they will pass through the most minute 
opening and they will then begin to propagate, and cause fermentation. 

The Breaking of Jars. — If fruit is put into jars and the jars put in a boiler, 
surrounded with water and boiled, the jars are liable to crack if set directly on 
the metal bottom. Breaking will be prevented by putting several thicknesses of 
wet cloth under the jars; or use strips of wood, or hay or straw. Wrapping the 
jars in hay or straw simply keeps them from touching each other and allows the 
water to circulate around them freely. 

A fruit jar for canning hot fruit need never be heated by rolling in hot water 
or otherwise; a cloth wrung from cold water and completely swathing the jar 
will insure against cracking, if the jar is perfect, and if it is not it will be likely 
to crack in any event. The cloth should be soft, and touch the jar in every part, 
and cover the glass well at the top. 

Utensils. — See what we say about "The Utensils Used" in the introduction to 



* Bacteria and microbes are terms applied to minute organisms which abound every- 
where, and which play an important part in the economy of nature, causing both fermenta- 
tion and putrefaction. They are rather more like plants than animals, and so small are 
they that the most powerful microscope makes them appear as little more than dots and 
rods. There are many varieties, but in shape they take principally 3 different forms which 
may be compared to a lead pencil (those having this form are called bacilli), a ball (called 
cocws), and a corkscrew (called spirilum). 

(326) 



CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 327 

our previous chapter on "Jams, Jellies", etc., for the action of the acids in fruits 
on tin, copper, etc. 

Peaches. — If peaches are dipped in scalding hot water for a minute (some use 
hot lye) and then into cold water, the skin will readily slip off. If the stones are 
cracked and the kernels slightly cooked in the syrup which is poured over them 
it will be an improvement. The tastelessness of canned peaches sold in the 
stores often results from not doing this. 

Pare fruit with a silver or aluminum knife and use forks of the same mefcals — 
steel will discolor it. Drop it in cold water as soon as pared, which will prevent 
its turning dark. 

To soften hard fruits, like apples, pears, hard peaches or quinces, steam them; 
or cook in water till tender. 

Using Sugar. — Although fruits can be canned without sugar many fruits are 
improved by the use of more or less of it; it improves those fruits when canned 
which require it when fresh. Fruits which are to be used for flavoring ice creams 
and water ices, are best canned without sugar. If sugar is sprinkled on small 
fruits, and left on 1 or 2 hours, they retain their shape better. Any surplus juice 
from strawberries or other small fruits, can be made into jelly. 

Strain syrup which is not clear through fine flannel. 

Sealing. — When fruit is otherwise properly put up it often fails to keep because 
of improper sealing; covers should be screwed on reasonably tight at first, and 
tightened often till quite cold; the glass shrinks by cooling, and the covers should 
be tightened up on it as it shrinks. Be sure the rubbers used are close fitting 
and firm. 

If corks and wax are used in sealing, soak the corks in hot water; dry both 
cork and the edge of the bottle with a hot cloth before applying the wax, to 
insure close adherence to the glass. 

Parafine paper tied or pasted over heated fruit will keep it sweet for quite a 
time in summer, and for weeks in cold weather. It is also recommended for 
covering jellies and jams, as it is impervious to air and is water-proof. 

Keeping. — All goods canned in glass (and that is the safest and most reliable 
thing to use) should be kept in the dark, or the cans wrapped in paper, as the 
light will bleach and injure many fruits, especially tomatoes and strawberries. 
Canned fruit and vegetables should be kept in a cool, dry and dark place. 

The flavor of canned fruit is improved if it is opened some time before it is 
needed for use, and allowed to aerate. 

Vegetables intended for canning should be as fresh as possible, as wilted 
vegetables will not can well. 

The Food Value of Canned Goods.— A careful analysis of the canned goods sold in the 
market has shown that they should he regarded mainly in the light of an expensive luxury. 
This is owing principally to the large amount of water which they contain. In such articles 
as corn and string beans a test has shown that the contents of the can consists of 35% to 95% 
of water, so that if one bought 100 lbs. of these goods he would buy 65 lbs. to 95 lbs. of water, 
and only 5 lbs. to 35 lbs. of dry food material. For this reason 10 or 25 cents invested in 
flour, cornmeal or meat, will get as much actual food materialfor the body as II or $2 will if 
invested in canned goods. Poor people, and those of moderate means, should understand 
these things. When, however, the goods are canned at home the food is, of course, bought 
uncanned, and as cheaply as it could be obtained in any form. If properly put up canned 
goods are wholesome. 

A Word of Caution.— Sometimes goods which are put up in tin cans, and which are all 
right when opened, are allowed to stand afterwards exposed to the air, and then the acid 
they contain will at once attack the lead in the tin, producing poisonous compounds of 
lead. For this reason the contents of tin cans should be emptied out at once on being 
opened So important is this that it should be understood by every one. 

Salicylic acid has- been often used in canning fruits, and many agents have passed 
through the country selling recipes or preparations guaranteed to preserve fruit, the active 
ingredient of which was salicylic or some form of sulphurous acid. These should never be 
used. They may injure the health of the consumer, they impair the taste of the fruit, and 
their use is wholly unnecessary, as fruit is easily canned successfully without them. Don't 
buy or use such preparations. 

Canning Berries, etc. — To can small fruit, or those which require little cook- 
ing, such as berries, peaches, etc., allow for every quart jar 1 teacup of sugar, 
more or less according to the acidity of the fruit. Dissolve the sugar in a very 
little water,, put the fruit in it and heat to the boiling point; swathe each jar 
with a wet cloth, fill it with fruit, and seal it at once while hot. 

Canning Apples. — Select choice apples, pare, quarter, core, and let simmer 



328 CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 

merely until tender; then drain them out, put into hot syrup, boil 2 or 3 minutes, 
and fill hot into jars. The juice and rind of 1 lemon to 4 lbs. apples imparts a 
pleasant flavor. Using 1 lb. of quinces or 1 good-sized pineapple to 4 lbs. apples 
also makes a pleasant combination. 

Canning Currants. — Use % lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit; let the fruit stand 2 or 3 
hours covered with the sugar in the preserving kettle; then bring slowly to the 
boiling point, fill into jars and seal. 

Raspberries are nice put up with currant juice; allow 1 cup currant juice and 
1 cup sugar to each quart of raspberries, add the juice and sugar to the berries, 
bring to the boil, and put in jars. Red raspberries and red currants are also 
very nice canned together half and half. 

Dewberries and Elderberries can be put up like currants, but allow % lb- 
sugar for 1 lb. fruit. 

Canning Damsons. — Allow % lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit; place alternate layers of 
sugar and plums in a preserving kettle, first pricking the plums to prevent their 
breaking; let stand 1 or 2 hours at the back of the stove, then heat gradually 
just to the boiling point; fill into jars and seal. 

Greengages or Plums of any kind, can be canned the same way, but allow % 
lb. of sugar to 1 lb. fruit. They can be allowed to stand in alternate layers of 
plums and sugar over night if desired; the next day bring to a boil and can. 

Gooseberries. — These when ripe can be put up like currants, allowing % lb. 
sugar to 1 lb. gooseberries. Green gooseberries are best put up by the "Cold 
Process" (which see). 

Canning Pears. — Steam them until tender in a steamer; then put them into 
jars and fill with boiling syrup, holding in solution for each jar % teaspoon of 
tartaric acid dissolved in a little water. This acid gives a piquant flavor to the 
otherwise sweet or insipid fruit, and is harmless. 

Rhubarb. — The simplest and best method for this is by the "Cold Process" 
(which see). 

Canning Quinces. — Pare, quarter, core, and let them simmer merely, in water 
until tender; then drain them from the water, put them into the hot syrup (allow 
% lb. sugar and 1 cup water to 1 lb. quinces), let simmer 10 minutes (at 170°) and 
put into jars. The core, seeds and parings can be made into jelly. 

Canning Grapes. — Grapes may be canned whole without the usual process of 
scalding. Heat the jars very hot by steaming them over water brought gradually 
from tepid to boiling heat, or by placing them in the oven on several thicknesses 
of paper, and increasing the heat gradually. Wring a towel from hot water and 
swathe the cans; then fill them with the cold grapes, cover with boiling water, 
seal, and let stand 10 minutes; then take off the covers, pour off the water, and 
cover with boiling syrup sweetened to taste, and seal. The skins will not break, 
and the fruit will have a very different flavor from seeded grapes. 

Blackberries, Huckleberries, and Raspberries may be canned as directed for 
grapes. 

Strawberries. — To preserve the color and flavor of strawberries requires care. 
They should go directly from the field or garden to the preserving kettle — even 
washing them injures their keeping qualities. Use % lb. sugar to 1 lb. fruit. 
Place alternate layers of sugar and berries in a preserving kettle and let stand 1 
hour; then heat slowly just to the boiling point; fill into jars and seal hot. 

Canning Apricots. — Pack them whole into the jars, packing them full, and as 
closely as possible without mashing or pressing the fruit; fill the jars with syrup 
up to the shoulder, put on the cover loosely, and set them in a wash-boiler so 



CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 329 

that they do not touch the metal bottom, as directed in the introduction to this 
chapter, and fill water around them up to their necks; put on the cover, bring it 
to a boil, and keep it boiling 12 to 15 minutes, so that the fruit in the jar may be 
heated clear through; then remove from the stove, fill 1 jar at a time with hot 
syrup (have some surplus syrup ready, and bring it to a boil at the same time as 
the fruit), screw on the cover, set it back in the water, and let all cool together. 
Practically this is a very good method, as it kills all germs, without over-cooking 
the fruit. 

Cherries, Plums, Nectarines and Strawberries can be put up as directed for 
apricots. 

Peaches can be put up the same way, but they should be pared and halved; 
if 2 or 3 kernels are put in the center of each jar they will flavor all the fruit in 
it; and this should be done, as they lack flavor without the kernels. 

Pineapples can be put up the same way, but they should be first pared and 
sliced, using a silver knife. 

Canned Corn. — Select young tender ears, cut the corn carefully from the cob 
with a very sharp knife, and scrape the cob with the back of the knife to secure 
the milk. Dissolve 1 oz. of druggist's pure tartaric acid in a large teacup of warm 
water, and use % of this for every 4 quarts of corn; to be exact, measure by table- 
spoons. Stir the required amount into the corn, add 2 teacups of hot water, and 
cook 15 minutes. Stir often and thoroughly while cooking; then can in the usual 
way. On opening for use, to each quart add a level teaspoon of soda (to neutral- 
ize the acid), cook 5 minutes and season to taste, being careful to add a little 
sugar. Should the corn turn yellow on adding the soda, add a very little more acid 
water (some may be kept corked); should there be a slight acid taste, put in a 
little more soda. If the acid is impure, or too much is used, crystals will form. 

No. 2. — Another method is to crowd corn cut from the cob into glass jars, seal 
moderately tight, set them into cold water, bring it to the boil, and then boil 3 
hours; then loosen the covers an instant, seal again and cook 1 hour; then remove 
from the fire. Tighten the covers occasionally as the cans cool. Corn put up 
this way keeps perfectly, but it is not as fresh as that put up with acid, and the 
process is more tedious. In serving this corn all that it needs is to get it thor- 
oughly hot, and add a little milk or cream, butter and seasoning; further cook- 
ing toughens it. 

Canned Peas. — Shell them, and pack closely in cans; add to each quart 1 tea- 
spoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar dissolved in a little water; fill them full of water, 
put on the covers, and proceed as directed for apricots, but keep the water boil- 
ing 3 hours; fill hot water into the boiler, as that in it cooks away; when done, 
screw down the tops, and let them cool. 

Asparagus. — Put it up as directed above for peas, but omit the sugar and salt. 

Lima Beans. — Treat as directed above for peas, but omit the sugar. • 

String Beans. — Either green or cream beans can be put up as directed above 
for peas. String them, cut into inch lengths, put into cans, add to each quart 1 
teaspoon of salt, and continue as directed for peas. 

No. 2.— String the beans and remove the stem end. Boil them in water until 
about half tender, then to each 4 quarts of beans add % pint of salt; boil 10 min- 
utes, put in cans, cover well with the liquor in which they were boiled and seal. 
To use, drain, cook in a little water, and season to taste with cream or butter. A 
very little white sugar added to the seasoning is an improvement. 

No. 3. — Another method is to boil the beans in slightly salted water until they 



330 CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 

are tender, but not until they break; then drain quickly and can, covering them 
with weak boiling vinegar, or vinegar and water. To use, drain them, soak in 
warm water 15 minutes, heat 5 minutes, and season with butter and a little milk, 
thickened slightly with corn-starch. 

Canning Cabbage. — Slice cabbage when it comes from the pits in the spring, 
cook it in very little water, season with salt, and can boiling hot. 

Canning Carrots. — Boil carrots till tender, peel and slice, reheat them in a 
steamer and can, covering them with weak boiling vinegar, or vinegar and water. 
Use them as a garnish, or season with cream for a salad. 

Canned Beets. — Chop beets while tender, season with sweetened vinegar, and 
can hot. They make delicious salad. 

Pumpkin. — Scrape out the seeds after cutting it up, and either stew or bake 
it until tender, without paring, as the sweetest part lies next the rind; when 
baked, remove the rind, mash with the potato masher, put it in jars and seal 
while hot. Add no seasoning until opened for use. 

Canned Succotash. — Put lima beans in salted water, and cook nearly enough 
for table use; take green corn on the cob, and boil until when a grain is cut no 
milk flows, then cut it from the cob, and mix with the lima beans, using 1 meas- 
ure of beans to 2 measures of corn; cover them with boiling water, bring to a 
boil, and fill them into glass jars. String beans can be used instead of lima 
beans, but cut them into 1 inch lengths. To use this succotash, drain off the 
liquor and add butter, milk and flour the same as for fresh succotash. 

Canned Tomatoes (Whole). — Select good small ones, rejecting all that are soft 
or spotted; put them whole into the cans without peeling, fill with cold water, 
and -proceed as directed for peas, but omit the salt and sugar, and boil only % 
hour. 

Tomatoes No. 2. — Select the tomatoes before they are ripe. As soon as they 
are gathered from the vines remove the skins, cut them in small pieces and drain; 
boil them 20 minutes, stirring often, and adding saltfreely while boiling. Can in 
the usual way. One can determine by tasting just how much salt can be used. 
They are less likely to sour when salt is used. 

Tomatoes No. 3. — Scald and skin them; bring them gradually to a boil in the 
preserving kettle, and let them simmer merely % hour (at 170°); put into the 
cans while hot, and seal. 

Canned Tomatoes are nice stewed and baked in alternate layers with boiled 
rice or boiled macaroni, seasoning the layers with butter, pepper and salt. 

Canned Tomatoes with Corn. — Boil the corn on the cob the same as for table 
use, and cut it off while hot; have tomatoes skinned and rubbed to a smooth 
pulp; put 2 parts tomatoes to 1 part corn, salt as for the table, bring to a hard boil, 
andean quickly. 

Canned Beans with Acid. — Cook the beans until done; then add for each pint 
of beans 1 tablespoon of a solution made by dissolving 1)^ oz. tartaric acid in 1 
cup water; can at once while hot. To use, to each quart of beans add % teaspoon 
of soda to neutralize the acid, and let stand a little while before cooking. Then 
season and serve. If there is a slightly acid taste use a little more soda; if too 
much soda is used add a trifle more acid. 

Peas can be put up the same way. 

Fruit Juices. — Select the best fruit, squeeze out the juice, strain it through 
fine muslin (4 thicknesses) or through flannel cloth, add sugar in the proportion 
of % lb. sugar to 1 quart of juice, and bring to a boil; use an earthen or porce- 



CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC 331 

Iain-lined kettle, remove all scum which rises, and put while hot into small bot- 
tles, and keep closely corked; or it can be kept in Mason jars. 

When canning fruit the juice remaining can be bottled in the same manner. 
For pudding sauces, etc., these can be used in place of wines and intoxicating 
liquors, as we have elsewhere stated in speaking of intoxicating liquors; they can 
also be used for water ices and summer beverages. 

Fruit juices can also be put up without the use of sugar; strain the juice, and 
fill it into the bottles to the bottom of the neck only; then cork securely, wire 
the corks down, and set the bottles into water up to the neck; let it boii 
3^ hour, then take from the stove, let them stand in the water till cold, and seal 
the corks. Juices put up this way can be used like fresh juices, but when 
exposed to the air they spoil quickly, so that all must be used at once when a 
bottle is opened. Small bottles are therefore best. 

CANNING WITHOUT SYRUP. 

Fruit can be put up much as directed for apricots, but without using any 
syrup. The fruit should not be very ripe when picked; fill wide-mouthed bottles 
as full as they will hold, cork and seal each one tightly, surround it with water 
and boil as there directed; then remove from the stove and let them cool stand- 
ing in the water, tightening the covers occasionally. It will be found to nearly 
equal fresh fruit when opened, and can be used like it. Apricots, cherries, goose- 
berries, sliced pineapple, plums, and other fruit can be put up thus. 

CANNING BY THE COLD PROCESS. 

Many fruits may be canned by what is termed the "Cold Process." It is best 
to boil the water used for this purpose, to kill all germs in it; then let it get cold 
before using it. 

Green Currants and Green Gooseberries. — To can them in this manner fill 
jars with the green fruit, shaking it well together; fill with water which has been 
boiled and allowed to get perfectly cold; seal, wrap each jar in paper, and set in 
a cool place. 

Grapes (Cold Process). — Remove them from the large clusters in smaller clus- 
ters of 2 or 3, being very careful indeed that the stem of each grape is in no wise 
loosened from the fruit; fill the jars with these clusters, or with the single grapes 
if preferred, with the stems left entire or partly clipped; when full (do not shake, 
as the success depends upon the stem adhering to the fruit) immerse the jar in a 
pail of water which has been boiled and become cold; when the jar is quite full 
of water screw on the top while under water. 

Cherries (Cold Process). — The stems of cherries may be clipped and the fruit 
canned in the same manner as grapes. It is more difficult to prepare cherries, as 
they loosen so easily from the stem. 

Canned Peaches, {Cold Process). — Pare and halve the fruit, fill a jar with it, 
packing closely, and fill the jar with water as for currants; cover and let stand 
6 or 8 hours for the water to work its way into all openings; then fill in water to 
take the place of that which has worked in, and seal. Thus put up all the fresh- 
ness and flavor of the fruit is retained. Instead of the water cold syrup can be 
used, but the natural flavor is best retained without any sweetening. 

Canned Rhubarb (Cold Process). — Take fresh green stalks, peel and slice as if 
for pies; then take fruit jars and pack this in up to the necks, and then fill the 
jars with cold water; now seal up air tight and it will keep any number of months. 
To see if the jars are tight set them bottom up for a little while and see if any 



332 CANNING FRUITS, VEGETABLES, ETC. 

water escapes; if not, they are all right. To use it, pour off the water and use 
like fresh pieplant; but to sweeten it, not over )^ the sugar ordinarily used will 
be needed, as the water will extract some of the acid. The method is simple, and 
it will be equal to fresh pieplant when used. 

Strawberries Canned Cold. — To each lb. of fruit allow 1 lb. sugar; dissolve the 
sugar in the least possible quantity of water, put in the strawberries and let both 
boil up together once thoroughly; then put the fruit and syrup in deep earthen 
pie plates, and let stand in the sun 24 hours covered with mosquito netting; or, 
dry it in a cool oven; then can cold. Delicious. 

Currants and other small fruit may be canned the same way. 

CANNING MEAT. 

Do not leave meat designed for canning exposed to the air; as soon as it is 
thoroughly cold, after killing, prepare it by selecting pieces free from blood. 
Remove all bone, gristle and inferior pieces, and cut it into suitable pieces for 
the table, having them rather thin than otherwise. On the bottom of a Mason's 
self -sealing can put a little salt, pepper, and a dash of pulverized, sifted saltpetre; 
then put in a layer of meat, and on that sprinkle more of the same seasoning, and 
so on alternately, filling the can to within an inch of the top, pressing the layers 
down firmly while packing that there may be no air spaces. On the top layer 
use the seasoning more freely. Fill the can with lard, heated sufficiently to run 
smoothly. Cover with a paper bag, and keep in a cool, dark place. It will keep 
from January to July. 

No. 2. — Take fresh beef and boil it until all the bones will come out; then take 
the meat out, remove the bones and cut in short lengths, returning it to the 
liquor; season to taste with salt, pepper, a little mace, cloves and chopped onions, 
if liked. Take the meat from the liquor with a wire dipper, fill it into the cans, 
pour on the boiling liquor, and seal tight. Keep in a dark, cool place. 

Canned Corn Beef. — Before the brine sours or changes in the least, boil the 
meat till tender; then remove the bone, gristle, and white fiber, return to the 
boiling liquor, and when hot can it, pressing it compactly; cover it well with the 
boiling hot liquor and seal. Keep the cans in paper bags in a cool cellar. Examine 
on the approach of warm weather, and if on shaking the cans any bubbles arise, 
open such cans and use the meat at once. 

Pickled Tongue is also very nice put up in this way. 

Mince and Sausage Meat must be put into cans while at boiling heat, if 

thus preserved. 

Preserving Meats.— All the resources of science have been called linto play to devise 
means to preserve meat so that the surplus of one region can be transported unimpared to 
supply the needs of another region less bountifully supplied. The 4 most important methods 
which have been devised are by drying, by cold, by heating and excluding the air, and by 
the use of antiseptics. They are all bascdon killing or preventing the development of the 
germs (bacteria) which cause putrefaction. Drying preserves meat and vegetables because 
the low forms of life, as well as the higher, cannot develop without a certain amount of 
moisture, but the flavor and other qualities of meat are not improved by drying. Freezing 
preserves the meat because cold checks the growth of all micro-organisms. In canning, the 
usual method is to heat the article enough to kill all the germs, and then seal it up so 
tightly that no more can enter. Antiseptics, like salt, sugar, etc., act by preventing the 
development of the micro-organisms which cause decay. The action of salt is to draw the 
juices and many of the nutritive elements out of the meat, and when they are once drawn 
out they can never be restored again, so that salted meat is never as nutritious as fresh 
meat. The salt also hardens the fiber of the meat and makes it less digestible. Salt has a 
whitening effect on the meat also, and to counteract that, saltpetre is often added, but the 
latter tends to make the meat hard, dry and indigestible, and therefore a little cochineal 
is sometimes used for coloring instead. 



PICKLES, CATSUPS, AND VINEGAR. 

The custom of pickling seems to have been practised since very early times, 
the ancient Greeks and Romans highly esteeming their pickles made from herbs, 
roots and vegetables preserved in vinegar. 

All vegetables and fruits used for pickles should be sound, and not over ripe. 
Fruits can be pickled as well as vegetables. 

The Vinegar. — Use only pure vinegar in making pickles, catsups and sauces. 
Cider vinegar is usually considered about the best for this purpose. As vinegar 
is weakened by boiling, it should be merely brought to the scalding point, and 
then poured on the pickles; if not scalded, but put on raw, however, it will not 
keep well. Have the vinegar strong or the pickles will seem "insipid." If the 
strength of the vinegar is lost, replace it with some which is strong, and boiling 
hot when poured on. Adding a little horseradish will help to keep up the life of 
the vinegar, but use it sparingly; 1 or 2 clusters of green grapes serve the same 
purpose. To heat vinegar a good way is to put it in a stone jar in a sauce-pan, with 
hot water around it, and as soon as it reaches the boiling point remove from the 
fire, as boiling reduces both its strength and flavor. 

Vinegar can be kept from molding by putting into each jar some horseradish, 
mustard seed or nasturtiums, but use only a little. 

Using Alum and Parboiling. — If articles to be pickled are parboiled or scalded 
they will absorb the vinegar more readily, but they will not be so crisp. Cucum- 
bers and gherkins are made crisp and green by dissolving a small lump of alum 
in the vinegar the first time it is scalded, but it is injurious to the health if too 
much is used. 

Coloring Pickles. — A green color can easily be obtained, if desired, by soaking 
cabbage or vine leaves or the leaves of parsley or spinach in the vinegar, and the 
color thus obtained is harmless. Or to have cucumbers green put them into cold 
vinegar and heat them slowly over a moderate fire until they become green. 

A Caution.— Bright green pickles have been popular, merely because of their looks. 
To gratify this taste pickles have been boiled in copper kettles with vinegar and a 
little alum. The acetic acid of the vinegar acts on the copper and forms acetate of copper, 
which is commonly and well known as verdigris. This penetrates the pickles and colors 
them green, but it should be understood that this acetate of copper (verdigris) is really a 
most active poison, and that pickles thus prepared are poisonous and unhealthy. 

Spices. — Use spices judiciously so that all combine into a pleasant flavor with- 
out having one flavor predominate over all the others, and do not flavor so 
strongly as to entirely disguise the original flavor of the article pickled. 

. Brine. — The rule for the brine used for pickles is "strong enough to float an 
egg." The proportion is about 1 quart of water to 1 cup salt. 

The Kettle, etc. — Use porcelain-lined or granite kettles for putting up pickles. 
The acid in vinegar will act on the lead in tinned vessels, and produce the 
poisonous acetate of lead, and in brass or copper vessels it produces the poisonous 
acetate of copper {verdigris). As the mild acids, however, do not affect aluminum, 
utensils made of that metal are excellent to use for this purpose. 

Use wooden spoons instead of metal spoons or forks. If, however, any mental 
spoons or forks are used have them either of aluminum or silver. 

Keeping 'Pickles. — Pickles will become soft and spoil if exposed to the air, so 
that they should always be kept covered with vinegar; there should be 2 or 3 inches 
of vinegar over them; keep the jar tightly closed. If pickles show signs at any time 
of becoming moldy or soft, pour off the vinegar, scald it, skim, add to each gallon 
of vinegar 1 handful of sugar, and pour it back on again, boiling hot. The sugar 
will form fresh vinegar and so strengthen the old. If pickles are put in jars and 
sealed while hot, they keep better than in any other way. 

Pickles should be kept in a dry, cool place, but they will be spoiled if they 
freeze. They are best kept in stone or glass; never use glazed jars, as the salt 
and vinegar will dissolve out the little lead which is used in glazing, and form 
the poisonous acetate of lead. No vessel which has held grease should be used 
for keeping pickles. 

(333) 



334 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

Pickles are an agreeable addition to our food, but they should be eaten spar- 
ingly, as they are not easily digested. 



SOUR PICKLES. 

Artichokes. — Take a strong brine and boil the artichokes in it 2 or 3 minutes; 
then drain them on a sieve, and put in jars when cold. Boil some nutmeg, mace 
and ginger in enough vinegar to cover; pour it on hot and seal the jars. 

Beans. — String the beans and boil until tender, putting a little salt in the 
water; then drain in a colander, and when cold put in jars; add 1 tablespoon of 
horseradish, sprinkle with cayenne pepper lightly, and cover with good cider vin- 
egar. 

Pickled Beets. — (1) Wash them, and be careful not to prick the outside skin 
or they will lose their beautiful color; put them into boiling water, simmer gently 
until % done (about 1% hours), take out and cool; then peel, and cut into slices 
~% inch thick. Take vinegar enough to cover, add 2 oz. allspice, and 2 oz. whole 
pepper to each gallon, and boil 5 minutes; when cold, pour it on the beets, and 
cover closely. They can be used in a week. (2) Another way is to take 4 or 5 
medium-sized beets, boil them soft, put in cold water, rub off the skins, wipe dry, 
cut in pieces, and chop finely in the chopping bowl; add, while chopping, an even 
teaspoon of salt and sugar, a saltspoon each of mustard and pepper; pack into 
a salad dish or bowl; cover with cold vinegar, and let it stand until the next day 
before serving. 

Carrots may be pickled in the same manner. Pew people know how good car- 
rots are when pickled. 

Pickled Cabbage. — Slice the cabbage fine, and cover with boiling water; drain 
off the water when cold. Season with red and black pepper in equal parts, salt, 
cinnamon and cloves, and grated horseradish. Cover with strong vinegar. 

Pickled Cauliflower. — Break the heads into small pieces, and boil in salt and 
water 10 or 15 minutes; then drain carefully, and place in jars when cold; tie 
white mustard, cloves, allspice and pepper in a bag, put it in vinegar, and scald; 
take the vinegar from the stove, take out the bag, and to each quart add % CU P 
sugar, and 1 tablespoon of mustard; pour it over the cauliflower, and cover tightly. 

Celery Pickles. — Take % gallon of chopped celery, the same of chopped white 
cabbage, 4 oz. white mustard seed, 3^ oz. ginger root, 2 tablespoons salt, % oz - 
turmeric, % cup sugar, % gallon cider vinegar; let all simmer gently until celery 
and cabbage are tender; then put in jars. 

Cherry Pickles. — Take large, ripe cherries, leave the stems on, and put them 
whole into cans, filling them only % full; take good cider vinegar, fill the cans 
with it cold, and seal, without heating. 

Pickled Corn. — Select good corn and boil it on the cob; when done let it cool, 
and cut it from the cob; then pack it in a jar in alternate layers of salt and corn, 
having salt at the bottom and on top; then spread on a cloth, lay on a board, and 
weight it down. For use; soak it till fresh in water, and cook or heat it. Many 
like it better this way than when canned. 

String Beans and Lima Beans can also be packed in salt; after being in the 
salt 2 days they can be used at any time, and can be cooked like green vegetables, 
but while boiling, change the water 1 or 2 times. They will be like fresh vegetables. 

Cucumber Pickles.— Cut cucumbers from the vine instead of twisting or 
pulling them off, as that injures them. Fill a jar with cucumbers, and pour 



PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 335 

boiling water over them, with a little salt; let stand 6 hours or over night, and 
then put them into cold vinegar. To 1 gallon of vinegar add 1 cup salt and 1 
tablespoon pulverized alum, and scald the pickles in this mixture; pour it off, and 
pour on new vinegar, with spice, red peppers, cinnamon, root ginger and cloves. 

Cucumber Pickles No. 2. -Take % bushel cucumbers, and soak 24 to 36 hours 
in brine strong enough to float an egg; then take them out, wash, and cover them 
with vinegar and water (half and half) adding alum the size of a large walnut; 
let soak 2 days. Then take out, put in jars, and put 1 green pepper in each large 
jar. Scald 2 gallons vinegar with 3 lbs. brown sugar, 1 oz. each stick cinnamon, 
whole cloves, and whole allspice, and pour it over the pickles. They can be used 
next day, and are fine. 

No. 3. — Pick when 2 or 3 inches long, no larger. Wash, dry, and put a layer 
in the bottom of a glass fruit jar; mix 1 teaspoon each of whole cloves, whole 
pepper-corns, allspice, and 2 teaspoons of stick cinnamon broken fine; sprinkle the 
cucumbers in the jar with this mixture, add more cucumbers, then more spice, 
and so alternately until the jar is full. This amount of spice is for 1 quart can. 
Fill the can with strong vinegar, cold, screw on the cover, and in about 4 or 5 
weeks they will be ready for use. By this method one can pick cucumbers each 
day, using as many cans as they will fill; it is sure and easy, as there is no trouble 
salting, boiling, etc. 

No. 4.— Take 2 parts soft water, and 1 part New Orleans molasses or sorghum; 
put it in a jar or cask, and set it in the sun with a thin cloth and board covering 
it; the board should be removed during the day, but the cloth left on to keep out 
insects. This must be prepared long enough to get sour (say 4 weeks) before 
putting in cucumbers. Set it in a cool place as soon as you begin to put in 
cucumbers; pick and put some in each day, and every time you put in cucumbers 
add a little molasses to keep up the strength of the vinegar. Lastly add 5 or 6 
lbs. of brown sugar, a few horseradish roots and a small piece of alum. Some use 
the same vinegar every year; strain it, and add molasses as the cucumbers are put 
in. It saves the trouble of making fresh every year. 

Salting Cucumbers. — Wash them, and put first a layer of salt, then a layer of 
cucumbers, and so on alternately until the jar is full, having salt on top and 
keeping all down with a weight. They will keep this way 2 or 3 years. For use, 
freshen them by soaking in water for 2 or 3 days, changing the water daily. 
Scald vinegar, to which is added spices, and a little sugar if desired, and pour 
this hot over the cucumbers. A cloth can be laid over salted cucumbers, under 
the weight, and the scum that arises may be removed by taking off the cloth and 
rinsing it. Horseradish tops or cabbage leaves placed under the cloth will prevent 
molding. 

Large Cucumber Pickles. — Very nice pickles may be made with the large 
cucumbers that would be considered unfit for use by some people. Peel them, 
and take out the seeds and soft part; cut them the long way of the cucumber, 
cover them with cold vinegar, and let them stand one day and night; drain them 
well and put on fresh vinegar, with 2 lbs. sugar; put 1 oz. cassia buds in a quart 
of vinegar and add to the pickles. Boil for 20 minutes, then put them away in 
jars, well covered. 

Spiced Cucumber Pickles. — Soak 2 quarts of salted pickles in cold "water until 
quite fresh — it may take 2 days; be sure and change the water 2 or 3 times a day, 
when fresh, wipe dry and pack closely in jars. Take 1 quart vinegar, 1% cups 
brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon cloves tied in a bag; bring 
to a boil, and turn it over the pickles while hot. 



336 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

Pickled Gherkins. — Put them in strong brine until they are'yellow; then remove 

them, and pour on hot, spiced vinegar, and keep them in a warm place until they 

turn green; take them out, and cover with good vinegar, boiling hot and spiced 

to taste. 

Gherkins are young cucumbers, gathered before they are mature, and they are used for 
nothing but pickling; as pickles, however, they are generally liked. They should not be 
gathered too young, or their flavor will not be sufficiently developed. 

Pickled Eggs. — Boil eggs hard, take off the shells, and put them in jars; take 
vinegar enough to cover, season it well with cloves, allspice and whole peppers, 
and a little ginger tied in a muslin bag; bring it to a boil, and pour it hot on the 
eggs; close the jars tightly when cold. They will be ready for use in a fortnight. 

Jersey Pickles. — Take 1 package ripe tomatoes, 3 peppers, 3 tablespoons salt, 

1 heaping teaspoon of cloves, 3 heaping teaspoons cinnamon, 4 cups sugar, 2 cups 
vinegar; boil from 1% to 2 hours. 

Pickled Lemons. — (1) Select 12 small lemons with thick skins; cut into them 
nearly to the center, but not quite enough so that they fall apart; fill the open- 
ings with salt, and pack them in an earthen dish on end; set away, and in about 
4 days there will be brine enough to partly cover them; turn them over, repeating 
each day for 4 days, so that all parts may soak in the brine; then drain them out 
and put in glass jars. Add enough cider vinegar to cover the fruit, a little 
crushed ginger root and a Jamaica pepper if desired, or other spice; bring it slowly 
to a boil, skim, and pour it on the fruit when cold. (2) Another way is to wash 

2 doz. lemons, cut across or through the ends of each about .2 inches and pack 
with the cut end down in a stone jar; add 4 quarts vinegar, % 1°- mustard-seed, 
% lb. salt, % oz - each of cayenne pepper, cloves, and nutmeg and 1 small onion; 
cover the jar, and set it in a kettle of boiling water and boil all day. They should 
be tender enough to pierce with a fork easily. 

Pickled Limes. — (1) Take 12 limes, make incisions into the rinds into which 
rub salt, put them on end in an earthen dish, and set in a warm place 4 or 5 days, 
or until soft, turning them over 1 or 2 times, and put them in glass jars, pouring 
in the brine. Take enough vinegar to cover them, add % oz - whole pepper, and 
2 oz. each of bruised ginger and mustard -seed, bring to a boil, and pour on them 
while hot. When cold, seal the jars. (2) Pick limes when full grown, sound and 
fresh, and put them at once into brine about as strong as sea- water; in 2 or 3 days 
it will become bitter; pour it off, cover with fresh brine, and repeat about 3 times, 
or until the bitterness is extracted. Cover with fresh brine, and they will keep 
indefinitely and can be shipped, being always saleable barreled thus. 

Pickled Martynias. — Choose the small, tender martynias; wash and brush them 
carefully; soak them in a strong brine for 5 days, then soak them in fresh water 
until the salty taste is nearly gone; next wipe them dry, put them in a jar, and 
pour over them well spiced hot vinegar, flavored with onions if liked. 

Mangoe Pickles. — Pick green cantelope melons when half grown (about the 
size of a pint bowl); cut out 1 lobe, carefully scrape out all the seeds, return the 
lobe and tie it in place; put 15 of the melons in a brine strong enough to float an 
egg, and leave 6 weeks, keeping them well under; then take out, soak in fresh 
water 24 hours, then remove, wipe dry, and fill with the following stuffing: Take 
}4 lb. scraped horseradish; % lb. race ginger, scalded, scraped and chopped fine; 
2 nutmegs; % oz. mace; 1 oz. whole black peppers; 1 small box good mustard; 1 
oz. turmeric; 12 large onions minced very fine. Pound the mace, nutmegs and 
black pepper together, and mix all the ingredients together with enough salad 
oil to make it into a paste. Stuff each melon perfectly full; return and tie the 



PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 337 

lobe in place with thread, and put each mango when stuffed into a jar large 
enough to hold thern all. Put enough strong cider vinegar to fill the jar into a 
preserving kettle; crack and add % oz. each of cloves, ground ginger, mace and 
allspice, let boil, and pour hot over the mangoes. Keep the jar closely covered. 
Made in the fall the pickles will be fit to eat Christmas, but the following Christ- 
mas they will be matchless, their perfection increasing with age. This pickle is 
the most elegant made, and is suitable for any dinner that can be served. 

Green Pepper Maugoes. — Take green peppers which are sound and firm and 
add as many red ones for appearance; cut off the top, extract the seeds, put into 
a strong brine, and let soak 24 hours; then drain them, wipe, and fill with a 
stuffing made of ground cloves, mustard seed, green tomatoes chopped, cabbage 
chopped, and salt, mixed all together; sew on the tops, and cover them with 
strong, hot vinegar containing 1 cup brown sugar; repeat for 4 mornings, and 
seal up. 

Peach Mangoes. — Take large, fine, freestone peaches; with a silver knife cut a 
hole in the side just large enough to remove the stone, take it out, put back the 
piece, tie it in, and put the peaches into a strong brine; leave 36 hours, drain out, 
and let them lie 20 minutes in cold water; wipe carefully, and fill the inside with 
grated horseradish to which is added a little celery seed and crushed ginger root, 
and moistened with vinegar. Replace the piece forming the opening, sew or tie 
it in place with thread; stand them closely in glass jars, and cover them with 
boiling hot vinegar, containing 1 cup sugar to each quart of vinegar; tie up when 
cold. They can be used in 8 days. 

Mixed Pickles. — Take 2 heads of cauliflower, 2 heads cabbage, 50 small cucum- 
bers, 8 small carrots, 2 quarts string beans, 12 sticks of celery, 6 red peppers 
(without the seeds) and 3 green peppers; chop these vegetables separately, and 
let them soak over night in salt and water; in. the morning wash and drain them. 
Take 2 grated nutmegs, 3 teaspoons each of mace and cinnamon, tie in a muslin 
bag, and put into vinegar enough to cover the vegetables; scald it, pour it over 
the vegetables hot, put in jars and cover closely. 

Pickled Mushrooms. — Clean carefully, and boil a few minutes in salt and 
water; drain, and dry them between linen cloths; put into jars, and cover with 
vinegar, spiced to taste. 

Mustard Pickles. — Chop fine, equal quantities of cauliflower, white onions, 
celery, green peppers and green tomatoes; pour on a scalding hot brine, let stand 
over night, and drain. Take % gallon cider vinegar, 1 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons 
of butter; bring to a boil, and add 1 cup flour, 6 tablespoons ground mustard, % 
oz. turmeric powder wet in cold vinegar; pour it all, scalding hot, over the pickles. 

Pickled Nasturtiums. — Leave about 1 inch of stem on when they are picked; 
let them soak in strong brine for 3 days; drain, and soak them in cold water 1 
day; drain, put in jars, and pour on boiling vinegar to cover; they need no spices. 
They can be used in a month, and will serve instead of capers if desired. 

Pickled Onions.— (1) Take nice onions, peel them, put into boiling water, and 
let them stew until quite clear; then remove them quickly, put them between 
cloths to dry, and then put them in glass jars. Take good vinegar, put in ginger 
and whole peppers, bring to a boil, and when cold pour over the onions, and tie 
up closely. (2) Select button onions, cover with scalding hot brine, and leave 36 
hours; drain, put in jars, and cover with vinegar, poured on hot, and spiced as 
desired. 

Pickled Oysters, — Take 1 quart oyster liquor, 7 tablespoons good vinegar, 1 
22 



338 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

teaspoon each of allspice and white pepper, 1 tablespoon of "salt and 2 blades of 
mace; into this put 1 quart of oysters, and simmer 5 minutes; take them out, 
boil the liquor, skim it, and pour it over the oysters; can them while hot if you 
wish to keep them some time. 

Pickled Parsley. — Prepare a brine and thoroughly wash selected parsley in it; 
drain, shake dry, put into glass jars, cover with cold vinegar, containing 1 table- 
spoon of chopped horseradish to the quart, and tie up. It can be used for gar- 
nishing. 

Pickled Peppers. — Take large green ones, and extract the seeds through a slit 
cut in the side, but leaving them whole; then put them in a strong brine for 2 
days, changing it once; then put them in cold water for 1 day; drain, and pour 
on, boiling hot, a solution of ^ vinegar and % water; when cold, drain them, put 
into jars, and cover with strong cider vinegar, boiling hot. Tie up when cold. 
They are sometimes filled, before being put into the jars, with a stuffing made of 
cabbage head, chopped fine, seasoned with salt and white mustard-seed mixed in 
well; then sew up, put in jars, and cover with cold spiced vinegar. 

Piccalilli. — Slice 1 package of green tomatoes, add 2 cups salt, cover with 
water and let stand 24 hours, then put into fresh water; squeeze out of this and 
add 12 green peppers, 6 onions, 1 head of cabbage, chop all very fine, cover with 
vinegar and scald; then drain off, add 2 cups of molasses, 1 tablespoon cloves, 
allspice, and 2 oz. white mustard seed, and cover with cold vinegar. 

Green Tomato Pickles. — Slice 1 peck of green tomatoes and let stand over 
night with a little salt sprinkled between them; in the morning put them into 
weak vinegar and scald; remove the tomatoes and when cold put in jars. Take 
strong cider vinegar to cover, add 1 cup sugar, 4 green peppers, mustard and spice 
to taste, bring it to a boil, and pour over the tomatoes. 

Ripe Tomato Pickles. — Use the small yellow plum tomatoes; prick them with a 
coarse needle, pack in jars, and cover with hot cider vinegar, spiced or not as pre- 
ferred. Cover close and keep in a cool place. 

Pickled Turnips.— Wash them, but do not break the skin or the juice will 
escape; boil them, and when done pare, cut in slices % inch thick, and pour on 
spiced vinegar boiling hot. They are best eaten when new. 

Pickled Walnuts or Butternuts. — Gather them when young enough to be 
pierced readily with a pin; put them in strong brine, and leave them 7 days, 
changing it every other day; then take them out, wipe dry, and pierce them with 
a large needle in a number of places; cover them for 8 hours, or over night, with 
cold water; then drain, and put in jars. Take enough cider vinegar to cover, and 
to each gallon allow 12 blades mace, 1 cup sugar, 36 black pepper-corns, 36 cloves, 
and 1 tablespoon allspice; boil 5 minutes and pour hot on the nuts; repeat twice, 
3 days apart, and tie up. 

Ornamental Pickle. — Take red beets, cook until tender, then peel and cut 
into dice, put in jars and cover with vinegar spiced to taste. Boil eggs 25 min- 
utes, then drop into cold water; when cold, shell and put in with the pickles. 

French Pickles. — Take 1 package green tomatoes, 1 medium-sized cabbage, 6 
large onions, 6 large peppers; chop all very fine, but let the tomatoes drain 
through a colander before adding the rest. Addl cup white mustard-seed, 2 lbs. 
brown sugar, 1 gallon strong vinegar, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon each 
of allspice, cloves and black pepper and % cup salt; cook % hour and put into 
a jar. 

Russia Pickles, —Take 2 gallons cabbage coarsely chopped, 12 onions, 4 quarts 



PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 339 

green tomatoes chopped together, 6 green peppers, 1 oz. pepper berry, 1 oz. cel- 
ery seed, % lb. white mustard-seed, V^ lbs. sugar, % gill salt, 4 quarts vinegar; 
boil all together until the cabbage and tomatoes are tender; then add % oz. 
turmeric. Can while hot. 

Chili Sauce. — Take 18 large tomatoes (not too ripe), 1 green pepper, 3 onions; 
chop fine and add 2 tablespoons of salt, )^ cup sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 1 teaspoon 
each of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice; boil 2 hours and put in cans. 

Chow Chow. — Take 2 large heads of cauliflower, 2 quarts green peppers, 3 
quarts green cucumbers, 3 quarts green tomatoes, 2 quarts small onions; slice 
about % inch thick, and sprinkle with salt in alternate layers of tomatoes, onions, 
and cucumbers; boil the cauliflowers about 5 minutes; let them stand over night, 
then strain all carefully and free from water. Then place in jars and make a 
seasoning as follows: Take 1 lb. mustard, % lb. mustard-seed, % lb. whole all- 
spice, % lb. whole black pepper, 2 cups brine, 1 gallon vinegar, 1 tablespoon curry 
powder; boil strongly 15 minutes, and pour over the vegetables. If too thick, 
add vinegar. Mix the mustard with vinegar, and tie the spices all together in a 
muslin bag; they should all boil with the vinegar. 

Chow Chow No. 2. — Take equal amounts of green tomatoes and cabbage, % the 
amount of onions, or less if preferred, and 1 or 2 green peppers; chop all together 
fine; then season with plenty of salt, a red pepper cut fine after removing the 
seeds, black pepper and a little white mustard-seed. Mix the spices well through 
the mass, pack in jars or bottles, and pour on cold vinegar. Keep it cool. It will 
be ready for use in a few days, will keep several weeks, and can be made thus 
without cooking. 

SWEET PICKLES. 

These are made from any of the fruits suitable for preserving, and also from 
some of the vegetables. The strength of the syrup used varies from 1 to 4 lbs. 
sugar to the quart of vinegar, as vinegar varies in strength and some people like 
it sweeter than others, but it is better to have the syrup rich. The best sugar to 
use is the best light brown or coffee "C" sugar; some use maple sugar. 

The spices generally used are cinnamon and cloves, although allspice, mace 
and ginger are sometimes added, and can be used by any who desire them. The 
spices should be tied in a muslin bag before being boiled in the syrup, or they 
will discolor such fruits as apples, pears, etc. 

Apples, melon rinds, cucumbers and pears should be steamed until tender 
enough to pierce with a broom straw or fork before pouring the hot syrup over 
them, as it then penetrates them more readily. Smooth skinned fruits, like 
plums, etc., should be pricked with a needle before being cooked in the syrup. 
Peaches if very ripe do not need steaming, but otherwise they do. They are 
sometimes merely rubbed well with a cloth; some people wash them first with 
a weak lye, and some cooks peel them. 

The method of making sweet pickles is to prepare the syrup, bring it to a boil, 
put in the pickles, and boil until tender; then put into jars and put away when 
cold. Another way is to prepare the syrup and pour it boiling hot on the pickles; 
let stand until next day, drain off the syrup, boil it, pour on hot again, and repeat 
this for 4 or 5 days; then seal hot. Either plan works well. 

A Hint. — Many people do not know that sweet pickles can be made from 
preserves of almost any kind. All that is needed is to take the syrup, add vinegar 
and any spices desired, boil it up, and pour it again on the fruit. 

Pickled Apples. — Peel and core them, and steam until tender; prepare a syrup 
of 3 lbs. sugar to 1 quart of vinegar, add spices (tied in a bag) bring to a boil, put 
in the apples, let simmer quietly 2 minutes, then put in jars and seal. 

Crab Apples. — Select good apples, take out the blossom end, steam until a fork 



340 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

will readily pierce them; prepare a rich syrup of ?>% lbs. sugar to 1 pint vinegar, 
add spices, and finish like sweet apples. 

Pickled Beets. — Boil them until tender, in a porcelain-lined kettle, and when 
cold slice them crossways, as the appearance is better than if cut lengthways; 
put in jars and pour on a hot rich syrup of vinegar, sugar, and spices to taste 
(put the spices in a bag). 

Pickled Blackberries. — Prepare a syrup of 2 cups vinegar, 4 lbs. sugar, and % 
oz. each of cinnamon and cloves; bring it to a boil, put in 10 lbs. berries, simmer 
for % hour, and put into jars. 

Blueberries, Raspberries, and Strawberries can be put up the same way. 

Pickled Bed Cabbage. —Cut fine 8 heads of red cabbage, pack it in a crock in 
layers, sprinkling salt between each layer, and let stand over night. Then put 6 
lbs. sugar in % gallon of vinegar, add 2 oz. each of allspice, pepper, cinnamon and 
cloves, and 2 tablespoons of celery seeds (tied in a bag); boil it, and pour hot on 
the cabbage. 

Pickled Cantelope. — Select melons which are neither soft, yellow, nor yet very 
green; pare, remove the seeds and soft inside, slice, and stick a clove with the 
blossom end taken off into each piece. Prepare a syrup of 3)^ lbs. sugar to 2 
quarts vinegar, and when it boils put in the melons and simmer until they are 
soft and transparent; then put into glass jars and pour on the syrup hot; leave 
until the next day and they will have settled a little, when fill again with the 
cold syrup left over, and cover closely. 

Pickled Cauliflower. — Cut the cauliflower into any shaped pieces desired, put 
them into strong brine, and leave 24 hours; then take out, boil the brine, and 
pour it on the pickles scalding hot; let stand until next day, and drain them out. 
Prepare a spiced vinegar, boiling any spices desired in it; let it get cold, and pour 
it cold on the pickles. 

Pickled Cherries. — Stone and put into a jar 5 lbs. good ripe cherries, adding a 
few pits to flavor; take % oz - each of mace, cloves and cinnamon, 2 lbs. sugar, and 
2 pints good cider vinegar; put all together, bring to a boil, and pour over the 
fruit hot. 

Currants. — Put 6 heaping cups of sugar into 1 quart vinegar; add 7 lbs. cur- 
rants, scald them, take them out and put in jars; boil the syrup a few minutes, 
and pour it hot over the fruit. Use only % as much vinegar if they are desired 
sweeter. 

Cucumber Pickles. — Take ripe cucumbers, quarter them, remove the seeds, 
and soak in strong brine (keeping them well under) for 10 days; take out, soak 1 
day in clear cold water, and then over night in weak alum water, and drain them 
out; take 1 quart of vinegar, 6 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons each of cloves, mace and 
cinnamon (tied in a bag), bring to a boil, put in the cucumbers, and simmer until 
tender. 

Pickled Grapes. — Take fresh, sound, ripe grapes, and pack them in jars; pre- 
pare sweetened and spiced vinegar, let it get cold, and pour over the grapes, cov- 
ering them fully. 

Pickled Figs. — Make a hot pickle of sweetened cider vinegar; take ripe figs, 
peel them, put them in the pickle, and boil gently until tender. 

Pickled Plums. — Gather the plums with the stalks, prick them with a needle, 
and put them with layers of cloves and cinnamon into glass jars. For every 4 lbs. 
plums boil up 2 lbs. sugar and 1 quart of vinegar, and pour it hot over the plums. 
Next day pour off the vinegar, boil it up again, and pour it over the fruit again; 
repeat this twice, then tie up. It improves by keeping. 



PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGA& §41 

Pickled Peaches. — Wipe the peaches and steam them until tender, and then 
pack them in jars; take 1 quart of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cloves and broken 
stick cinnamon (tied in a bag) to each quart of vinegar; boil it and pour hot over 
the fruit; the next day turn it off, boil again, and pour hot on the peaches again; 
repeat once, seal up and put away. 

Pears and Quinces can be put up the same way, but the latter can be pared, 
cored and quartered before steaming, and the parings and cores used for making 
jelly. 

Pickled Pineapple. — This can be pared, sliced, and boiled gently until tender; 
then put in jars and finished like peaches. 

Pickled Raisins. — Prepare a syrup of 1 cup sugar to 1 pint vinegar; put in 2 
lbs. raisins, leaving the stems on, and cook gently 30 minutes; then put them 
into jars. 

Green Tomato Pickles.— Slice 1 peck green tomatoes and 6 large onions (or 1 
quart of small ones); sprinkle on 1 cup salt, and let stand over night; in the 
morning drain; then boil them 5 minutes in 2 pints vinegar and 4 pints water, 
and again drain through acolander. Then take 1 gallon vinegar, and 2 lbs. sugar, 
2 oz. white mustard-seed, 2 tablespoons each of cinnamon, ginger and cloves, and 
6 green peppers, chopped, or ^ teaspoon cayenne pepper instead; boil all gently 
15 minutes, and pour over the chopped tomatoes and onions. They will keep a 
year or more. If desired, the onions can be omitted, and the tomatoes put up 
alone in the same way. 

No. 2. — Take 1 peck sliced green tomatoes, and let them stand in strong brine 
all night; then drain, boil until tender, drain again and put in jars. Prepare a 
syrup of 3 lbs. sugar, % oz. allspice, and 1 oz. each cinnamon and cloves to 1 quart 
vinegar; boil, and pour hot over the tomatoes. 

Husk Tomato Pickles.— For 7 lbs. husk tomatoes use 4 lbs. sugar, 2 cups vin- 
egar, 2 teaspoons each of cloves, cinnamon and mace; prick the tomatoes instead 
of peeling, put them in a porcelain kettle with the sugar in alternate layers, heat 
slowly to boiling, add the vinegar and spices, and boil 5 minutes; take the fruit 
out with a perforated skimmer, and spread it on dishes to cool; when cool, pack 
it in glass jars, boil the syrup thick, and pour it boiling hot on the fruit. Examine 
them occasionally the first month, and if any signs of fermenting appear, set the 
jars uncovered in a kettle of water (with thick cloth under them) and heat until 
the contents are scalded. These are very nice. 

Watermelon Kind. — Soak it in vinegar over night; then boil it in water until 
tender, and drain. Prepare a syrup of 3 lbs. sugar and 1 oz. each cinnamon and 
cloves (tied in a bag) to 1 quart vinegar, or to 1 pint vinegar if wanted very sweet; 
bring it to aboil, put in the rind, boil 5 minutes and put in jars. 

Citron can be put up in the same way. 



SPICED FRUIT. 

Some people confound spiced fruit and sweet pickles, but they are not the 
same. Sweet pickles are really a pickle, but spiced fruit is a spiced preserve, 
usually boiled down thick. 

Spiced Fruit. — Sprinkle 1% lbs. sugar over 3^ lbs. fruit and let it stand over 
night; then take the juice, add 1 cup vinegar, and cinnamon, mace and cloves to 
taste, and boil 15 minutes, then put the fruit in ancLboil 10 minutes and put 
in jars. 



342 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

Spiced Apples. — Take 2 cups vinegar, 2 lbs. of sugar, % oz - cinnamon and J^ 
oz. of cloves; boil all together, and while boiling add 4 lbs. of apples which are 
pared, quartered and cored; let them boil about 20 minutes, or until tender; then 
take them out and put in a jar; boil the syrup down until thick and pour it over 
the apples. 

Spiced Blackberries. — Take 1 cup of vinegar, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 tablespoon 
each of allspice, cloves and cinnamon; add 2^ lbs. blackberries, bring to a boil, 
skim out the blackberries, and boil the balance for 1 hour; put back the berries 
and boil 15 minutes; then put in jars and tightly cover. 

Spiced Cherries.— Boil together 2 pints vinegar, 2 lbs. sugar, and, tied in a 
bag, }4. oz - each of cinnamon, cloves and mace; then put in 5 lbs. tart cherries, 
having the stems left on, and boil 20 minutes. 

Spiced Currants. — Take 4 lbs. sugar, 2 cups of vinegar, 4 teaspoons each of 
allspice, cinnamon and cloves (tied in a bag); add 5 lbs. currants and boil 2 to 3 
hours. 

Spiced Elderberries. — Take 2 cups vinegar, 4 lbs. sugar, 1 teaspoon each of 
allspice and cloves and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon (all tied in a bag), and boil; then 
add 6 lbs. elderberries, boil 2 hours, and put in jars. 

Spiced Gooseberries. — Take 5 lbs. gooseberries, 4 lbs. sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 1 
tablespoon cloves and cinnamon; boil 3 hours, then put in jars. 

Spiced Grapes. — Pulp 7 lbs. grapes and scald until the pulps will pass through 
a sieve; then put them in the preserving kettle, add 5 lbs. sugar, 1 quart vinegar, 
and ground cinnamon, cloves and allspice to taste; let boil, add the skins, and 
boil 1 hour, or longer if they are wanted very thick. 

Spiced Pears. — Take 2 cups vinegar and 6 cups of sugar, and put cinnamon, 
cloves and mace in a bag and boil all till nearly thick enough; then put in pears 
which have been nicely pared, and 3 or 4 cloves (without the heads) stuck in each 
one, and boil until they look clear; now put the pears in a jar, pour the syrup 
over, cover tightly, and they will keep indefinitely. 

Spiced Peaches. — Wipe 1% lbs. peaches and boil them until tender in 2 cups 
vinegar and 1 lb. brown sugar; then take them out and put in % oz. each of 
cinnamon, mace and cloves, boil them all well, and pour over the peaches. 

Spiced Tomatoes. — To each pound of ripe tomatoes (peeled) allow ~% cup vinegar, 
3^ lb. sugar, and spices to taste; boil all together gently until the tomatoes are 
cooked; take out the tomatoes and put them on a dish till cold, but let the syrup 
simmer; put back the tomatoes when cold, and cook till they area dark red; then 
take them out and boil the syrup down thick. When cold, put in jars and seal. 



CATSUPS AND SOYS. 

In making catsups use good sound fruit. See what we say about "The 
Utensils Used" in the introduction to our article on "Jams, Jellies, etc.," as that 
will apply also for catsups. Do not put these up in tin cans, but use glass or 
stone jars. If mold is found on top when the catsup is opened, it can all be 
removed, and the contents will not be seriously injured; but if mold is scattered 
in spots throughout the mass, it is worthless. If when a can is opened there is 
danger that the balance of the contents will spoil, it should be thoroughly heated. 
Vinegar can then be added if too thick. 

Catsups, like preserves, should be kept in a dark, dry, cool place. A few 
whole cloves laid on top will prevent mold from forming. 



P ICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 343 

Apple Catsup. — Take 12 tart sound apples, pare and quarter them, and cook 
in very little water until soft; then pulp through a sieve; for each quart of this 
pulp take 2 cups vinegar, 2 medium-sized onions chopped fine, 1 cup of sugar, 2 
teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each of mustard, cloves and pepper, 1 table- 
spoon salt; mix all together with the pulp, and boil I hour; put into jars hot, and 
seal tight. 

Crab Apple Catsup. — Take % peck of chopped crab apples, (do not remove the 
skins) 3 cups of sugar, 1 pint of vinegar, 1 even tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon each 
of ground cinnamon, pepper, and cloves. Cook slowly until soft; then put in jars. 

Cherry Catsup. — Take the pits from 2 quarts of nice large cherries; put 2 cups 
of vinegar with 2 cups of sugar, a dozen whole cloves, and 2 or 3 sticks of cinnamon, 
broken coarsely, in the preserving kettle, and boil the cherries 10 minutes. Set 
away in the kettle until next day; boil again 5 minutes and pack hot in wide- 
mouthed bottles; cork tightly. A few whole clove3 under the corks will prevent 
mold in the tops of the bottles. 

Cucumber Catsup. — Grate the cucumbers, drain them in a colander, 'and for 
each quart allow 2 cups vinegar, 4 tablespoons grated horseradish, 2 teaspoons 
salt, and % teaspoon cayenne pepper. Bottle without cooking and seal. Some 
cooks cover it with vinegar alone. Others add 1 large onion, chopped very fine. 

Currant Catsup. — Take 6 quarts of currant juice, 2 lbs. sugar, 1 teaspoon 
cloves, 1 tablespoon each of cinnamon, allspice and salt. Boil half down; then 
add 1 cup vinegar. Cork tightly. 

Elderberry Catsup. — Pick 2 pints elderberries from the stalk, put in a jar, and 
pour over them 2 pints scalding hot vinegar; cover with window glass and set in 
the sun 2 days; then drain off the liquor and add 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1 
tablespoon small peppers, 6 anchovies soaked and picked to pieces, 1 teaspoon 
salt, % teaspoon cloves, boil 1 hour, stirring frequently, and keeping covered 
when not stirring; then take from the stove, let it cool, then strain, bottle, and 
seal. 

Grape Catsup. — Take 6 lbs. grapes, boil in a little water and strain; add 3 lbs. 
sugar, 2 cups vinegar, 1 tablespoon each of cloves, cinnamon, extract of lemon and 
salt; boil until thick and bottle. 

Gooseberry Catsup. — To 8 quarts of gooseberries add 4 lbs. brown sugar, 2 
cups vinegar, 2 oz. cinnamon, 1 oz. cloves. Boil 4 hours slowly, and stir fre- 
quently. 

Lemon Catsup. — Mix together 4 tablespoons of white mustard-seed, 2 table- 
spoons each of grated horseradish and sugar, 1 tablespoon each of white pepper 
and turmeric, 1 tablespoon each of mace and cloves, 1 saltspoon of cayenne pep- 
per, 1 shallot minced fine; have the spices all ground fine, and sprinkle on 2 table- 
spoons salt. Add the grated rind and juice of 12 lemons, cover, and put for 3 
hours in a cool place; then boil }/% hour, strain through flannel, bottle and seal. 

Mushroom Catsup. — Put the mushrooms in layers, with salt sprinkled on each 
layer, and let stand 4 days; then mash them fine, and to each quart add % of a 
teaspoon of black pepper, and boil it 2 hours in a crock set in boiling water; 
strain it from the liquor without squeezing; boil the liquor, and let it stand to 
cool and settle; then bottle and seal securely. 

Oyster Catsup. — Chop 1 quart of oysters, put them in a porcelain kettle with 
their liquor and 1 cup vinegar; bring to a boil, skim off the scum as it rises, and 
boil 3 or 4 minutes; strain through coarse flannel or a hair sieve, return the liquor 
to the fire and add 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon each of mace and cayenne 
pepper; boil 20 minutes, and bottle when cold, sealing it well. 



344 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

Pepper Catsup. — Take 50 pods of large, red bell peppers, seeds and all; add 1 
pint of vinegar, and boil until you can pull it through a sieve; then add to the 
pulp 1 pint vinegar, 2 tablespoons each of sugar, cloves, mace, allspice, salt and 
onions, and boil all to the proper consistency. Some cooks omit the spices. 

Tomato Catsup. — Tomatoes for catsups are best gathered in August, as they 
become acid and watery later on. Select good tomatoes, scald and strain through 
a sieve; to each 2 quarts of the sifted tomatoes, allow 2% tablespoons each of 
black pepper, salt and ground mustard, 1 tablespoon of cloves, and 2 cups vin- 
egar; boil 3 hours and bottle for use. 

Tomato Catsup No. 2. — Take 1 bushel of tomatoes, 2 oz. salt, lj^oz. ground 
black pepper, 1 oz. ground cinnamon, % oz. ground cloves, 3 tablespoons ground 
mustard. Skin and slice thetomatoes, stew them until soft, rub through a sieve, 
and boil the pulp slowly until it is about the consistency of apple butter; then 
add 1 quart of vinegar to which has been added 1 cup of sugar and the above 
spices; boil up twice, bottle and seal. 

Walnut Catsup. — Gather the nuts while they are young and tender enough to 
pierce with a pin easily; mash them to a soft pulp, and let them lie in salt water 
2 weeks; drain them, cover with boiling vinegar, mix and t mash them in it, and 
strain through a colander; to each quart of the juice add 3 tablespoons each of 
pepper and grated nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of powdered cloves, 1 tablespoon of gin- 
ger; boil 1 hour, and bottle when cold. 

Currant Soy. — Take ^ gallon of currants and add 2 cups vinegar, 1 cup sugar 

(heaped), 1 tablespoon mace, the same of allspice, 1 teaspoon each of cinnamon 

and pepper; boil all together 1 hour, bottle and seal. 

Soy.— The genuine soy is made in Japan and China from the seeds of a plant called 
Dolichos Soja; the seeds are similar to our kidney bean, but are black. The soy is made by 
boiling the seeds until soft, adding wheat or barley, allowing it to ferment, and then adding 
an equal amount of salt. It becomes clearer with age. There are many stories of its adulter- 
ation, some of them unfortunately being too true. It is nruch liked with fish. The term 
has now come, however, to be applied to a kind of catsup. 

Gooseberry Soy. — Take 2 cups vinegar, 3 lbs. sugar, and 6 lbs. gooseberries; 
boil 30 minutes. 

Grape Soy.— Take 5 lbs. grapes and let them simmer gently until soft; strain 
through a sieve and add 2 tablespoons each of allspice and cinnamon, % table- 
spoon each of cloves, grated nutmeg, and salt, 3 cups of sugar (heaped), and 2 
cups vinegar; mix all thoroughly, boil until thick, bottle and seal. 

Plum Soy. — Take 1 gallon of plums, boil gently until tender, rub through a 
sieve, and add 2 tablespoons of sugar, the same of salt, 1 tablespoon each of 
cloves, ground mustard and black pepper, and 2 cups vinegar; boil gently 1 hour, 
bottle and seal. 

Green Tomato Soy. — Take 4 quarts of green tomatoes, sliced but not peeled, 
12 onions peeled and sliced; add 4 cups sugar, 1 tablespoon each of cloves and 
allspice, 2 tablespoons each of black pepper, ground mustard and salt, and % 
gallon of good vinegar; boil gently, stirring frequently, until tender; bottle and 
seal. 

Ripe Tomato Soy. — Peel and slice 4 quarts of ripe tomatoes, slice and add 7 
onions, sprinkle on 1 cup salt, and let stand 36 hours, when drain off the liquor; 
then add 1 teaspoon red pepper, 2 teaspoons each of allspice, cloves, ginger and 
ground mustard, and }{ gallon of good vinegar; let it simmer quietly 2 hours and 
add )4 lb- white mustard-seed and 4 cups sugar; cook till done, then bottle and 
seal. 



PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 345 

VINEGAR. 

Vinegar (from the French vin aigre meaning literally sour wine) is a form of 
acetic acid, and its flavor varies according to the source from which it is 
obtained. Vinegar of the best quality is obtained from the grape, white wine 
vinegar being usually considered the best. Cider vinegar is derived from cider, 
and in the United States most of the vinegar was formerly obtained from this 
source. Its flavor is peculiar, and many prefer it. Vinegar is also made from 
barley, sour ale or beer, glucose, etc. Vinegar containing 5% of the pure acetic 
acid is called proof vinegar, and is the strongest that is used, but much of that 
sold in the market contains only 3$ of the acid or even less. It is frequently 
adulterated with other acids like sulphuric, muriatic, etc. Many flavored vinegars 
used for culinary purposes are merely ordinary vinegar flavored with fruits, herbs 
or vegetables. We give elsewhere recipes for making a great variety of these. 

All the vegetable juices can go through the acetous fermentation and produce 
vinegar. The process can be hastened by introducing a little ferment, like yeast. 
The fermentation takes place most readily at 70° to 90° F., but below 60° or above 
90° the action begins to diminish; boiling and freezing both stop it altogether. 

Vinegar can be made from any pure fruit jelly which has begun fermenting, 
or which will not "set." All that is needed is to add water and set it in a warm 
place, or exposed to the sun is best, covered with mosquito netting. Adding a 
little "mother," or yeast, will hasten it. Vinegar can also be made from cider or 
any pure fruit wine in the saine way, but add a little sugar. 

Vinegar and yeast are best kept in glass vessels; glazed ware is not suitable, 
as their acids attack the glazing, extract its lead, and produce the poisonous ace^ 
tate of lead. See what we say about "The Utensils Used" in our preceding chap- 
ter on "Jams, Jellies," etc. It will apply for vinegar, also. 

Mother of vinegar is a fungus, or low form of plant life (the Mycodermi aceti). A little of 
this put into a sweet or alcoholic solution will soon convert it into acetic acid or vinegar. 
The plant may be divided and propagated to any extent. 

Vinegar can hardly he said to have any nutritive value, its office being to stimulate 
the nerves of taste, and to flavor various foods. It also has a powerful preservative action, 
preventing the decomposition of vegetable and animal substances. 

Apple Vinegar. — When cooking apples, save the parings and cores (if sound); 
they can be thrown into a jar from time to time, as they accumulate; add enough 
soft water to cover, and 1 cup of sugar or molasses to each 6 or 8 quarts of water; 
keep out insects by covering with netting; keep it in a warm place and it will 
form good vinegar. 

Beet Vinegar. — A good vinegar can be made from beets by extracting the 
juice, and letting it stand in a warm place, or exposed to the sun, covered with 
netting; a little yeast will hasten the process. 

Cherry Vinegar. — Into 1 quart of good cider put 4 lbs. cherries, mashed, and 
add their stones, also; let stand 24 hours, and add 4 lbs. more cherries without 
their stones; let stand 3 days and strain (but do not squeeze) through a thin bag; 
add 1 quart of sugar to each quart of juice, and boil gently 30 minutes; skim, and 
bottle when cold. 

Cider Vinegar. — To each 2 quarts of cider add 1 cup molasses and ^ cup 
yeast; keep covered where the temperature is 70° to 90° and it will soon make 
vinegar; then draw it off from the dregs, and keep in a jug, or bottles, tightly 
corked. Cider for vinegar should be made from good sound apples which are 
not wormy or decayed. 

Clover Vinegar. — Put into a jar 1 quart of molasses, and pour on 2% gallons 
of pure soft water, boiling hot; as soon as it is barely lukewarm, add 2 cups hop 
yeast and 5 pints clover blossoms; cover and let stand a fortnight; then strain 
through cloth. 

Corn Vinegar. — Put into a jar 2 cups of corn cut from the cob, add 2 cups of 
molasses or brown sugar, and 4 quarts of pure soft water; set it in the sun cov- 



346 PICKLES, CATSUPS AND VINEGAR. 

ered with netting to keep out the insects; in 3 weeks it will make good vinegar, 
which is preferred by many people to cider vinegar. 

Currant Vinegar. — Tol gallon of pure soft water add 3 cups brown sugar and 
5 cups strained currant juice; keep in a warm place (from 70° to 90°) and it will 
form vinegar. Or, mash the currants, let stand over night, strain, and let the 
juice stand in a warm place until fermentation ceases. White currants will make 
a delicate, pale vinegar. 

Gooseberry Vinegar. — Take ripe gooseberries, mash them, and to each quart 
add 1%. quarts soft water, milk warm; let it stand 24 hours, strain it, and add 1 lb. 
coarse brown sugar to each quart; let it stand in a warm place in the kitchen, 
and in 2 or 3 months it will make fine vinegar. It will be superior to much that 
is sold as white wine vinegar. 

Honey Vinegar. — Mix thoroughly into 1 gallon of warm soft water, 2 cups of 
clear honey; cover and let it ferment, when it will make good vinegar. 

Molasses Vinegar. — To each gallon of warm soft water add 1 pint molasses 
and % CU P yeast; keep warm and in 3 weeks it will make vinegar. 

Potato Vinegar. — Take the water in which potatoes have been boiled, and to a 
gallon add 3^ cup hop yeast and 2 cups sugar; cover with netting, let stand 
exposed to the sun or in a warm place, and in about a month it will make good vin- 
egar. 

Raspberry Vinegar. — Put raspberries in a stone jar and add enough vinegar 
to cover them; let stand 6 days covered over, but stirring occasionally; then 
strain through flannel; add sugar pint for pint, boil % hour, skim, and bottle 
when cold. 

Rhubarb Vinegar. — Crush the rhubarb, cover with lukewarm water, and let 
stand 36 hours; then strain, add 1% lbs. raw sugar or molasses to the gallon of 
juice, and also add a little yeast; keep it covered and in a warm place for 4 weeks; 
then strain; put in a keg and leave it to ripen. 

Sorghum Vinegar. — Use about 4 gallons of water to 1 gallon of sorghum; keep 
it in a warm place, or in the sun covered with netting, and it will turn to vinegar. 
Adding a little yeast will hasten the process. 

Tomato vinegar can be made of it by adding 1 gallon of ripe tomotoes at the 
same time that the sorghum is added. 

Sugar Vinegar. — To 1 gallon of water add 1% lbs. raw sugar, and J^pint yeast; 
keep it at about 80°; in 4 days it can be drawn off, when add 1 oz. each of cream 
of tartar and chopped raisins; in a few weeks it will be ready to bottle. 

Yeast Vinegar.— Put into an open keg or jar 2 quarts of hop yeast sponge (set 
and allowed to get light as for bread); add 5 lbs. sugar or molasses, 5 gallons of 
soft water, and 2 quarts of corn which has been boiled until tender (adding it 
when cold); keep it covered and in 3 weeks it will make fine vinegar. 

Aromatic Vinegar. — Take 15 grains of oil of cloves; 10 grains oil of cinnamon; 
5 grains of oil of lavender; 1 oz. of camphor, % pint glacial acetic acid; mix and 
bottle. Aromatic vinegar is a nasal stimulant useful for reviving and refreshing 
those who suffer from faintness and nervous headaches. 

Spiced Vinegar. — Mix and tie in small muslin bags, 1 oz. each of allspice, 
celery seed, cloves, turmeric, mace, pepper, ground mustard and white ginger cut 
small; add 3 cups sugar and 1}4 gallons vinegar; keep closely covered and use as 
needed. 



BEVERAGES. 

When it is remembered that about 87$ of the body consists of water, which is 
constantly evaporating and passing away, and which must be regularly renewed, 
the necessity and importance of beverages will be readily seen. Water is the 
most natural drink for man, and however it may be flavored or disguised it is the 
chief ingredient in all his beverages. Not less than 3% pints a day are needed by 
an ordinary person, and those who are very large or active may need 4 or 5 pints 
daily. Although water is found in all the food we take, a large proportion of the 
needed amount must be taken in the form of beverages. Although in hot weather 
cold drinks are very refreshing, and within proper limits are not objectionable, at 
other times they often chill the digestive organs and depress the nerve centers, 
so that there is reason as well as pleasure in the use of hot drinks. 

TEA. 

Of all the beverages devised by man tea is probably the most extensively used. 

To Make Tea. — Allow 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup water, and an extra one for 
the pot. This is the old rule, but it varies somewhat with the quality of the tea, 
less being required of the finer grades than of the cheap teas, and as the finer 
grades go farther they are not so much more expensive in the end. If much is 
made at once the proportion can be reduced a little. Pour boiling water into the 
teapot, let it stand until the pot is heated through; then pour out the water, put 
in the tea, and pour on the water boiling hot, cover closely, and set it for 3 to 5 
minutes where it will keep hot but without boiling. English breakfast tea may 
stand 3 and black tea 5 minutes; then pour into the cups. 

Iced Tea (Russian Recipe). — Tea for icing should be made rather stronger 
than when intended for drinking hot, letting the boiling water stand on the tea 
for 7 minutes; then pour the tea from the leaves, sweeten to taste, and stand it in 
a refrigerator for 5 or 6 hours. Serve it in a bowl with lumps of ice and slices of 
lemon floating in it. Have a pitcher of ice water at hand to weaken it for those 
who think it too strong. In serving it each person should receive a lump of ice 
and a slice of lemon. 

Iced Tea No. 2. — For each tumbler of water allow 1 teaspoon of the best tea; 

put the tea, water and lumps of ice into an earthen vessel and stand in the 

refrigerator 5 or 6 hours. Easier than the former method. 

The Principles Involved.— Experiments have shown that five-sixths of the valuable 
qualities are extracted from tea by boiling water in 3 minutes, and in 10 minutes the leaves 
are nearly exhausted. If the leaves are steeped a second time, or if they remain too long 
in the hot water, the aroma is wasted, the tannin is extracted which makes the tea bitter, 
and it then disorders the digestion. Much of the evil wrought by tea is caused by this too 
long infusion, which extracts a large part of its tannin. The object to aim at is to 
extract as much as possible of the theine and volatile oil, and as little as possible of the 
tannin. "When the infusion is once complete, adding fresh tea adds very little to the 
strength; if more tea is wanted, empty out the old leaves, scald the pot, and make fresh 
tea as before. The following are the i essentials for good tea: (1) Usegoodtea, and the 
right amount of it. (2) Have the water boiling hot (not lukewarm) when poured on. (3) Have 
the teapot hot before the tea and water are put in. (4) Do not let it steep too long. Stewed 
tea is no good. 

If tea is required quickly, put it into the teapot and stand it in the oven 
while the water is coming to the boil; as soon as that is boiling hot pour it on the 
tea, and in a minute it can be served. 

The Teapot. — A. china teapot is the best to use. Do not use tin, because a 
poisonous compound is produced by the action on the metal of the tannic acid of 
the tea. The teapot should be clean and dry before using. 

The Water Used. — In making tea the water used is an important consideration. 
Soft water is better than hard, but if it is too soft it is apt to extract too much 

(347) 



'M BEVERAGES. 

of the general properties of the tea and sacrifice its delicacy of flavor, and if too 
hard it does not extract the theine and volatile oil readily enough. Do not use water 
which has been twice boiled, or which has boiled long before being used, because 
boiling expels the air and gases and makes the water flat and tasteless. This is 
really an important item — far more important than many people imagine. The 
more rapidly the water is heated the better the tea. When the water is poured 
on the tea it should be boiling hot, and not either cold or lukewarm, and it should 
be poured on as soon as it boils. If poured on cold and brought to a boil it will 
extract the tannic acid, injuring both the flavor and the value of the tea. Carbon- 
ate of soda has been sometimes used in making tea; it may soften very hard 
water, but it will spoil the flavor and effect of the tea. 

Hints. — With some persons the sleeplessness and headache caused by drink- 
ing tea is prevented by putting in a slice of lemon instead of the milk. 

Weak green tea with a little sugar and lemon juice in it, but no milk, is a very 
refreshing drink in cases of fever, taken either hot or cold. 

The tea plant {Thea sinensis) is native to China, Japan and Northern India. The use of 
the dried leaves is said to have been introduced into China from Corea in the 4th century, 
and from thence to Japan, and to have been brought to Europe by the Dutch East India 
Company in the 17th century. The leaves of the tea plant can only be gathered at certain 
seasons. The first picking is in April. It yields the finest tea, but little of it is shipped 
abroad, as a sea voyage injures its delicate flavor. This tea is largely used by the wealthy - 
Chinese, and some of it is carried overland to Russia. The next picking is in May, and a 
third, later in the season, furnishes the inferior teas which are bitterer and more woody 
than that gathered earlier. Tea leaves are dried in pans which are heated over smokeless 
fires. Green teas are dried quickly to preserve their color, while black teas are exposed to 
the air for a time and undergo a sort of fermentation which darkens them. In tea produc- 
ing countries the decoction is drunk alone without flavoring; in other countries something 
is added. The Germans often flavor it with rum, cinnamon or vanilla. The Russians 
squeeze in lemon juice, while some savage tribes in Tartary boil the leaves with soda, season 
them with butter and salt, and eat them. 

Tea contains an alkaloid called theine, which is similar to the caffeine in coffee, and 
theobromine in cocoa. Besides this it contains a volatile oil, some tannic acid, and some 
ordinary food substances. Its volatile or essential oil is developed during drying and 
roasting, and ought not to escape, as upon this its market value depends more than on 
anything else. The volatile oil, as well as the theine and tannin, is more abundant in 
green than in black tea. As ordinarily made, 3 times as much theine is obtained from tea 
as from coffee, The nutritive element in tea is very small, it being a stimulant rather than 
a food, but, "it aids the assimilation and transformation of other foods, increases cheerful- 
ness and activity, clears and quickens the brain, and lessens the desire to sleep." It warms 
the body when cold, cools it when hot by promoting the prespiration of the skin, and has 
an astringent action on the bowels. Tea contains from 2 to 4% of theine, about 1% of 
essential oil, M% of tannin, and 20% of nitrogenous matter insoluble in water. Taken to 
excess it acts like a vegetable poison, and with young people it is liable to interfere with 
the proper development of the nervous system. 

COFFEE. 

It is safe to say that a large percentage of the people who use coffee never 
drank a really first class cup of it, and a large proportion of the stuff served as 
coffee is unworthy of the name. And yet good coffee is not difficult to make if it 
is handled intelligently. 

The water used should be fresh and clear. Long boiling of the water expels 
the air and gases, and makes it flat and insipid. It should therefore be used as 
soon as it boils, and this is a much more important item than many people imag- 
ine. Do not reboil the water, nor let it boil long before being used, or the best 
results cannot be obtained. 

The roasting of the coffee is also an important matter. It is best roasted and 
ground just before it is used. If more is roasted than is needed for immediate 
use it should be kept in an air-tight glass jar or canister; if exposed to the air it 
deteriorates. Unpleasant odors and moisture are readily absorbed by it, so keep 
it in a dry and clean place. To roast coffee, put the desired quantity into a per- 
fectly clean, broad dripping pan; have a moderate heat at first, shake and stir 
frequently; after 20 or 30 minutes increase the heat and stir frequently until it is 
an even chestnut or "coffee color." If any berries are burned they must be 
picked out and thrown away, or they will spoil the coffee. Remember that the 
peculiar and delightful aroma of coffee is due to the changes in one or more oils 
produced by this roasting; in raw berries it is lacking. When properly roasted 
these elements constitute about 13$ of the berry. If not heated sufficiently the 
aroma is not properly developed; if heated too much the flavor is again dissi- 
pated. 

When the berries are properly browned, lift the pan from the stove to the 



BEVERAGES. 349 

table and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and the beaten white of 2 eggs to each 
pound of coffee, stirring it quickly and well that each berry may be glazed. This 
helps to develop the aroma, and also to confine it in the berry until let out by 
grinding. All the coffee which is not used at once should be put into a sieve, 
when cold, and shaken to break apart any berries which stick together; then put 
it into an air-tight canister. 

If coffee is bought at the store roasted but not ground, each time any is used 
put into the frying pan what you want for that meal, but nO more; heat it over a 
quick fire until the aroma is perceptible, shaking it constantly and adding barely 
enough butter to gloss but not make it greasy; then grind it at once and use it. 
If it was ground at home and buttered, reheat it and use the same way, but with- 
out buttering it. This freshens it and developes its aroma. Remember that the 
coffee should always go hot from the frying pan to the coffee mill, and from the 
mill to the coffee pot, if you want the best results. If ground coffee is used, that 
can also be heated until the aroma is perceptible, before adding the water. 

Grinding the Coffee.— Be sure your coffee is ground right. Most grocers 
grind the coffee too coarse, so that much more coffee is used than necessary, 
because in coarse coffee the flavor is not readily extracted. If you grind it your- 
self make it about like coarse corn meal — not coarser than that. If your grocer grinds 
it, make him grind it the same way. He may not like to, but it is the best and 
most economical way, and insist on it. If it is too fine (say as fine as flour), on the 
other hand, it will clog the strainer. It is too coarse if it is like rice or coarse oat- 
meal. 

Over-boiling. — The tannic acid in coffee should not be extracted or it will 
make the coffee bitter, and it will also disorder the stomach more; 5 minutes is 
the limit to which coffee should be boiled to avoid this, while 3 minutes is better. 
It is an erroneous idea that the longer coffee boils the stronger and better it is. 
After the caffeine and aroma are extracted, further boiling is a detriment. Cover 
the spout also when boiling coffee in a coffee pot, that the aroma may not escape 
through it. The one great object in making coffee is to extract and retain the 
caffeine and aromatic essential oils, without extracting the tannin, and any 
method which does this is a good method. 

The Cream and Sugar. — The milk served with coffee should be scalding hot, 
but should not be boiled. A pitcher of milk can be set in a pan of hot water and 
brought nearly to the boiling point day after day, without injuring the china. 
Some persons find the taste of boiled milk objectionable. Serve cream also if you 
can; 1 tablespoon of cream and 2 of hot milk is about right. If the coffee is very 
strong, fill the cup % to % ru H °f coffee, and fill it up with hot milk; this is much 
better than diluting the coffee with water. Never fill a cup quite full — it must 
not run over. Allow each guest to add the sugar to his taste, unless it is one of 
the family whose taste you know. A very pretty effect is produced by placing on 
the surface of each cup a teaspoon of whipped cream. 

Settling the Coffee. — Isinglass, fish skins, eggs and cold water are used to clear 
or settle coffee. Egg shells can be washed and saved for this purpose, 2 or 3 of 
them being enough to clear a quart of coffee; they answer about as well as the 
egg itself, and are less expensive. 

The Coffee Pot. — As good coffee as was ever tasted can be made with a common 
coffee pot, but some prefer a French biggin or some other device. Those who 
like these improvements and find them a help can use them, but do not imagine 
that they are really necessary in order to make good coffee, for they are not. But 
whatever coffee pot is used must be absolutely clean— not even milk pans require 
more scrupulous cleanliness. Every time the coffee pot is used it should be 
thoroughly cleaned, spout and all. If neglected, or if the coffee is allowed to 
stand long in the pot, a sort of black, greasy deposit will form on the inside, and 
it will spoil all coffee made in the pot while it is there. So wash, scald and dry 
the pot each time after being used. Dry each piece of a French coffee pot 
separately. Scald it out with hot water — cold water sets the greasy film, and is 
worse than useless. Do not use any soap or soapy water, but fresh, hot water 
merely. If the pot has been neglected, and is coated, put in a tablespoon of 
washing soda, fill it with water, and boil it for a long time; then scrub it out 
well, rinse it with hot water, and dry it. Boil the strainers and all parts in the 
soda water, and scrub them also. Do not heat the coffee pot too hot in drying it, 
or the next coffee made in it will taste burnt, 



350 BEVERAGES. 

Essentials of Making Coffee. — The essentials of making good coffee are the 
following: (1) Have good coffee, and use the right quantity of it. (2) Have it 
hot so that there is a perceptible smell of the aroma before it goes to the coffee 
pot. (3) Cook it just long enough to extract all the caffeine and aroma, with- 
out getting the tannic acid. (4) Serve it hot at once, and with hot milk. (5) 
Be sure the coffee pot is clean and in good condition. 

There are many ways of making coffee. It may be boiled or unboiled, made 
in a plain coffee pot or a French biggin or "grecque" and so on. While the object 
aimed at is the same in all cases the modus operandi must vary with the coffee 
pot used, etc. We will explain a few of the best methods, with and without the 
biggin. But remember that by no process will the result be satisfactory unless 
good coffee is used, and, also, if you would have really good coffee you must take 
pains with it. If you will observe the principles which underlie the process you 
can serve up most delicious coffee which will make glad the hearts of those who 
drink it. 

Amount of Coffee to Use. — Allow 1 heaping tablespoon of ground coffee for 
each cup of water; this is the standard rule, but if a large quantity is made the 
proportion can be a little less. 

Filtered Coffee Without Egg. — Have the coffee heated hot, pour on the water 
boiling hot, cover closely, let it stand 5 minutes, strain it through muslin (having 
it wrung out of hot water) into the coffee pot (having that heated); cover it, set 
it on the stove and heat a moment (not boil) and serve. Have the milk thoroughly 
hot. The coffee may be heated in a pan or pitcher if more convenient. 

Boiled Coffee Without Egg.— Scald the coffee pot; put in the coffee, pour on 
the water boiling hot, stir it well, bring it to a boil, move it to the back of the 
range keeping it hot without further boiling; add 3^ cup of cold water, let stand 
5 minutes, turn out 1 cup coffee, pour back into the pot, do the same again, let 
stand 5 minutes to settle, and serve. Boiled coffee has a different flavor from the 
filtered, and many prefer it. 

Boiled Coffee With Egg. — Scald the coffee pot; put in the coffee and egg shell, 
(or the egg or isinglass if they are used instead); add the water, boiling hot, cover 
closely, and boil 3 to 5 minutes — no more. Set where it will keep hot but not 
boil; pour in % cup of cold water; pour out 1 cup of coffee to clear the spout and 
pour it back again; let stand 10 minutes, and serve. 

Freuch Coffee With Cold Water.— Heat the coffee, put it in the filter of a 
French coffee pot or biggin, add a very little cold water, a tablespoon at a time; 
let it stand 30 to 60 minutes, then pour in the balance of the water slowly, a cup- 
ful at a time; when it has all filtered through turn it out, and pour it through 
the filter again; cover it tightly, and when ready to serve bring it just to a boil 
(never boil it) and serve immediately. Coffee can be made thus at your leisure, 
and not heated until ready to serve it. 

French Coffee with Boiling Water. — Heat the coffee, put it into the filter of 
the biggin, and pour on just enough boiling water to moisten it well; let stand 5 
minutes, and pour on the balarce of the water slowly, a cupful at a time, and 
wait 2 or 3 minutes between each cup; if wanted very strong turn out the coffee 
and pour it through the filter again; serve at once. This coffee should never 
boil; the best way to avoid this is to set the coffee pot in a pan of boiling water 
while the water is being filtered through the coffee. 

Coffee by a Simple Method.— Heat the coffee, tie it in a muslin bag; scald the 
coffee pot, suspend the bag in it, pour on the water boiling hot (be sure it covers 
the bag), let it stand 10 minutes where it will keep hot but not boil, and serve. 
This answers somewhat the same purpose as the French biggin, but can be used 
by those who do not have one. 

Steamed Coffee. — This can be made in a double boiler kept for the purpose, 



BEVERAGES. 351 

or by setting the coffee pot in a pan of boiling water; steam 20 minutes, then 
strain it into a heated coffee pot, and serve. 

Coffee with Cold Water. — Let the coffee and water stand all night in an 
earthen or china pot, closely covered; in the morning bring to the boiling point 
merely, and serve. No clearing or straining is needed. 

Cafe" Noir.— This is a French term meaning literally "black coffee." It can be 
made like other coffee, but very strong, using twice as much coffee (2 tablespoons) 
for each cup of water. It is served in small cups with sugar, but no milk or 
cream are served with it. 

Cafe au Lait. — This is a French term meaning "coffee and milk." It is simply 
very strong coffee, to which is added a large proportion of good hot milk — half and 
half being the proportions. Sweeten to taste. 

Vienna Coffee. — This consists simply in adding to each cup of coffee 3 table- 
spoons of whipped cream. Equal parts of whipped cream and beaten white of 
egg are sometimes used. 

Iced Coffee. — Make a quart of extra strong coffee and let it get cold; beat 2 eggs 
very light, stir into them 2 cups milk and 4 tablespoons cream; sweeten to taste, 
and stand in the refrigerator 5 or 6 hours. Serve with a lump of ice in the pitcher. 
If no refrigerator is at hand the pitcher can be set for 1 hour in a pail of ice and 
salt (% ice to % salt); take care that it does not freeze. Iced tea can be cooled 
the same way. 

Caramel Coffee. — Use caramel made as directed elsewhere for "Caramel." Add 1 
teaspoon of good ground coffee for each % cup of the caramel; let it boil for a 
minute, strain it, and add an equal amount of hot milk, or milk and cream. Chil- 
dren like it; so do "children of a larger growth." 

Substitutes for Coffee. — Take 4 cups unground wheat or rye, add % cup molas- 
ses, rub all together with your hands, and brown it in the oven like genuine cof- 
fee. When used, grind and put it in a muslin bag and boil it in a coffee pot; very 
good and slightly nutritious. If desired, it can be mixed with genuine coffee 
when used. 

Oatmeal, ground barley or graham flour can be browned and used also. In 
using them allow 1 tablespoon to a cup of water; moisten it with a little cold 
water, pour on the water boiling hot, and let stand 10 minutes. 

Corn Coffee.— Roasted sweet corn, browned without popping or hardening, is 
easily broken in a mortar, and makes a delicious drink for invalids, children, and 
those who cannot drink coffee. Try it. 

Cornmeal can also be roasted brown and used; boil 5 minutes and strain; a 
little salt can be added to improve the flavor. 

These substitutes for coffee contain no caffeine, nor anything similar to it, so that they 
possess no power as stimulants. Their value is simply that of hot water containing a little 
flavoring and nourishment, which is increased by the milk and sugar used. 

Coffee.— The origin of the use of coffee is involved in obscurity. It was not known to 
the Greeks and Romans. It was introduced into Europe in the 17th century. Mocha is an 
Arabian coffee. The brands from Central and South America were formerly considered 
inferior, but some of the best coffees now come from those regions. Maracaibo is often sold 
for Java, and is quite as good. Unground coffee is adulterated very little, but the ground 
coffee is almost universally adulterated. 

"Coffee," says Prof. Johnstone, "exhilarates, arouses and keeps awake; it counteracts 
the stupor occasioned by fatigue, by disease, or opium, it allays hunger to a certain extent; 
it gives to the weary increased strength and vigor, and it imparts a feeling of comfort and 
repose." It appears to make the brain more active, and the demand for food less, by check- 
ing the change and waste of the body. Taken in excess, it produces tremors and contrac- 
tions of the muscles, and an exhilaration somewhat like that of alcohol. It is not so stim- 
ulating as tea, and it does not increase the perspiration so much. It owes its stimulating 
effect to the caffeine and aromatic oils. It contains only about 155 of caffeine and 4% of tan- 
nin, and is therefore less injurious than tea to the coatings of the stomach. 

Coffee loses 20 to 3055 in roasting, but the roasting accomplishes several things. It makes 
it brittle and easily ground; the aromatic properties are developed as previously explained; 



352 BEVERAGES. 

the tannin and other properties are rendered partly soluble in water, and its sugar is all 
converted into caramel; this gives color and part of the flavor to the coffee. 

The color and flavor may be increased by mixing a little caramel with the ground coffee, a 
fact which many people do not understand. 

Mixing Coffee.— Coffee can be mixed to obtain different flavors. Eio and Santas are 
strong, while Java, Mocha and Maracaibo are mild coffees. A rich, delicate flavored coffee 
is obtained by using M Java and % Mocha, and that is probably the most popular mixture. 
Some mix them half and half. For a strong coffee use Eio alone, or temper it as desired by 
mixing some of the milder brands with it. Some people like equal parts of Eio, Mocha and 
Java. 

Keeping Coffee. — Green coffee, that is the unroasted bean, not only does not lose its 
flavor but actually improves by keeping for 2 or 3 years. It can advantageously be bought 
by the sack when the market is favorable, and it should be of a yellowish or brownish shade 
and well seasoned. Store it in a dry, cool place. As coffee readily absorbs bad odors noth- 
ing strongly odorous should be stored near it; much coffee has thus been ruined. 

Chicory.— This is prepared by cutting the roots of the chicory plant (Cicorium intibus) 
into small pieces and roasting them, much as coffee is roasted. It was first mixed with cof- 
fee by the Dutch, but is now used in all countries. While it is properly an adulteration, it 
is not deleterious. It does not possess any trace of the alkaloid caffeine, which is one of the 
peculiar properties of coffee, but it does possess an aromatic oil, starch, sugar (which 
will turn to caramel in roasting), nitrogenous substances and salts. It is used by some 
people as an independent beverage. It will give body, color and bitterness to coffee, and 

Eossibly modify its stimulant effect by acting as a diuretic, sedative and tonic. Some 
ousekeepers add chicory to their coffee, using 1 to 4 oz. of chicory to a pound of coffee. Un- 
fortunately, chicory is often adulterated, as well as coffee. 

COCOA. 

To Make Cocoa. — To % gallon of water add 1 gill of broken cocoa, and let it 
boil gently until reduced % (about 2 hours); equal parts of shells and cocoa can 
be used if preferred. If it cools and the fat is taken from the surface, and it is 
then heated again, it will digest more easily. Serve with cream, or scalded milk, 
and sugar. Cocoa can be flavored by adding a little vanilla extract if desired. In 
Spain, cloves, cinnamon and musk are also used to flavor it. 

To Use Prepared Cocoa. — Allow 2 teaspoons to a cup; add enough cold milk 
to form a smooth paste, then add equal parts boiling milk and boiling water, and 
stir all together well. There are many preparations of cocoa, some of which are 
recommended for preparation at the table, but all cocoa is better for being boiled 
1 or 2 minutes. Use hot milk to dilute it. 

Cocoa Shells. — In use allow % CU P °f the shells to 1 cup of water; pour on the 
water boiling hot and let them simmer gently 3 or 4 hours; as the water boils 
away add more; then strain, and serve. Sugar and cream, or hot milk, goes 
with it. 

Iced Cocoa. — Make the cocoa in the usual way, and for each 2 cups beat in % 
cup whipped cream; sweeten to taste, let stand till cold, and serve in glasses con- 
taining a little chipped ice. 

Cocoa is made from the seeds of the Tliedbromo cacao, a small tree which grows in Cen- 
tral and South America and the West Indies. The fruit is shaped like a cucumber; the out- 
side skin is thick, the pulp sweet and palatable; the seeds are much like almonds, with a 
thin skin, and the kernel is dark, bitter, oily and aromatic. 

Cocoa shells are the husks or shells. They contain little fat, but have more astringent 
matter than the seeds. They make a pleasant and wholesome drink, not stimulating, and 
well suited to nervous invalids and children. They need long boiling. An inferior cocoa is 
sometimes made by grinding the shells with the seeds. 

Cocoa nibs are the seeds freed from the husks, roasted and cracked, but not ground, 
although some of the fat is usually removed. Prepared cocoa is made by grinding the ker- 
nel to powder, removing some of the fat, and adding a certain amount of sugar and starch. 
Some of the husk is ground and added to many of the cheaper cocoas, as an adulteration. 

Thecocoa bean contains about 1% of theobromine, which is an alkaloid much likecaffeine 
and theine; about 50% of fat; from 14% to 18% of nitrogenous substance, V« of which is soluble 
in water; 4 % of starch, and about 7 % of an astringent principle much like tannin. 

Chocolate is made from cocoa nibs ground into a paste by machinery, mixed with sugar, 
flavored, and pressed into molds of various shapes. It is the most convenient and nutri- 
tious way of preparing cocoa. It does not stimulate the nervous system as much as tea and 
coffee do, and .it is food as well as drink, satisfying hunger to some extent. Delicate stom- 
achs will digest it more readily if the oily scum is removed from the surface after it is boiled, 
but for healthy people the scum is nutritious and need not be removed. 

Coca is the dried leaf of the Erythroxylon Coca, a plant resembling the blackthorn. It 
is used by the inhabitants of Peru and Bolivia, who chew the leaves and make an infusion 
of them. It is estimated that 8,000,000 people use it, but it is little used in this country, 
except by a few cyclists or pedestrians. It derives its special properties from the alkaloid 
cocaine. It is a powerful stimulant to the nervous system and enables fatigue to be borne 



BEVERAGES. 353 

more easily for a time, but there is some uncertainty about the exact effects of its con- 
tinued use. 

Mate, or Paraguay Tea is prepared from the Brazillian holly. It is used in Paraguay 
and Brazil, but very little in this country. It contains 1 or %% of theine, about 16% of 
tannin, some aromatic oil, and gluten. It acts mainly on the nervous system, but also affects 
the digestive system. It is not suitable for general consumption, and is very injurious 
if habitually used. 

CHOCOLATE. 

To Make Chocolate. — Put the grated chocolate in a sauce-pan and dissolve it 

in a very little boiling water; then add the desired amount of cold milk, bring it 

slowly to a boil, and it is ready to serve. 

The Spaniards mix chocolate so thick that a spoon can stand up in it. Chocolate is 
much improved by frosting, but to do this properly a. French or Italian chocolatiere is 
required, with a whisk passed through the lid so that it can be whisked while coming to 
the boil. 

Chocolate "Maillard's Style." — Put into a sauce-pan % cup of sugar, a table- 
spoon of salt, 1 cup grated chocolate and 1 cup boiling water and stir until 
smooth; then add 1 cup boiling water and 2 cups boiling milk and boil 1 minute 
only. In % cup of cold milk dissolve 1 level teaspoon of corn-starch; stir it in, 
boil 1 minute more, take from the fire, add 1 teaspoon of vanilla flavor, and 
serve. The salt, corn-starch and vanilla add to its richness and flavor. 

Chocolate with Egg. — Allow for each person 1 large tablespoon of grated 
chocolate; put it in a sauce-pan and slowly add boiling water, stirring and boiling 
a little until it thickens; then pour in enough milk to cool it, sweeten with sugar, 
and stir in 1 or 2 eggs well beaten, using more or less as desired; make up the 
desired quantity by adding milk, or milk and water, and simmer, not boil, 10 
minutes; flavor with vanilla and serve. If allowed to boil after adding the eggs 
they will become "curdled." 

Whipped Cream is best to serve with chocolate. It can be whipped with a 
Dover egg beater, and % pint is enough for a dozen cups. 

Choca. — This is cafe au lait and chocolate mixed in equal quantities. Many 
people like it for breakfast. 

MISCELLANEOUS BEVERAGES. 

Apple Water. — Take tart apples, quarter, core; add % their weight of sugar, 
cover with water, and simmer till tender; strain through a jelly bag and cool. 
Put pounded ice in the glass when you drink it. 

Blackberry Nectar.— Crush the berries, add an equal amount of water, and 1 
teaspoon orange juice and 1 sliced lemon to each 2 quarts; let stand 4 hours, 
strain through flannel, and to 1 quart of juice add 1 cup sugar. Keep on ice till 
ready to serve. 

Cherry Acid. — Dissolve 3 oz. citric acid in 1 quart water, pour it on a bowl of 
cherries and let stand 6 or 8 hours; strain off the juice, pour it over another bowl 
of cherries and let stand the same time; strain, and to each pint of juice add 1 
pint sugar, boil, skim, bottle, and cork while hot. 

Cocoanut Beverage.— Break 2 cocoanuts, saving the milk carefully; grate the 
cocoanuts, add them to the milk and also 4 pints water; put in a sauce-pan, and 
boil 5 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon continually to prevent burning (it 
will ruin it to burn); then strain, add % lb. powdered sugar, and mix well. Ice 
it and serve. 

Cream Soda. — Boil together for 3 or 4 minutes V% quarts water ,4}^ cups sugar, 
the juice of 1 lemon, and 2 oz. tartaric acid; when cold, add the well-beaten 
whites of 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour blended in )£ cup cold water; flavor to 
taste, bottle, and keep cool. To use, put 2 tablespoons in % tumbler of water, add 
a saltspoon of soda, and drink when it effervesces. 

23 



354 BEVERAGES. 

Currant Shrub. — Mash the currants, strain, and to each pint of juice add 1 
pint sugar, boil 10 minutes, and bottle when cold. If used at once it need not 
be boiled. 

Currant Water. — To 2 cups red currant juice add % cup raspberry juice, 2 
cups white sugar, and 2 pints water. 

Ginger Beverage. — To 4 .cups water add 1 scant cup vinegar, 3 large table- 
spoons of sugar, and 2 teaspoons sifted ginger. Use lemon instead of vinegar if 
preferred. Another recipe is 4 cups milk, 4 cups water, and 1 tablespoon of 
ginger. 

Gooseberry Shrub. — Take green gooseberries, pour on boiling water to cover, 
let stand till cool with a cloth spread over the jar; strain off the juice, heat it, and 
pour on again; then strain, and to each pint of juice add 1 pint sugar; boil, skim 
and bottle. 

Grape Juice and Almonds. — Take 6 oz. sweet almonds; blanch and pound in a 
mortar, working in 2 cups grape juice and 1% cups white sugar; then add 1% 
quarts water, and when all are dissolved, filter it. Ice when used. 

Grape Water. — Squeeze 4 lbs. grapes through a coarse cloth, and add 34 CU P 
of white sugar and 1 pint water to the juice. Serve with crushed ice in the 
glass. 

Jelly Beverages. — Almost any jelly dissolved in ice water and sweetened to 
taste makes a pleasant drink. Most summer drinks are improved by adding a 
little orange juice. 

Koumiss. — Take 6 cups sweet milk and 3 tablespoons of sugar; add 2 table- 
spoons of yeast and set in a warm place for a few hours until it ferments and the 
bubbles rise all over the top; then stir well for 3 minutes, bottle and fasten the 
corks. Keep cold (on ice is best) and use at once on being opened, as it soon 
spoils on exposure to the air. It can be used in 2 days, but it is better after 1 
week. It will keep for months if kept cold. 

Lemonade. — Into 2 cups boiling water put the thin yellow rinds of 6 lemons, 
and set in a warm place to infuse; take the juice of 12 lemons, add the infusion 
of the lemon peels, 1% quarts of water, and 1 lb. sugar, more or less, to sweeten to 
taste. 

No. 2. — Squeeze the juice from % doz. lemons, add the thin yellow rind of 2 
lemons, 1 quart of water and % lb. °f sugar, more or less, to sweeten to taste. It 
is a great improvement to lemonade to add grated pineapple or ripe straw- 
berries mashed. Remember in using either lemon or orange peel that the thin 
yellow rind, or zest, is all that should be used; the white part of the rind is bitter 
and injurious. (See what we say elsewhere about grating them.) 

Coffee Lemonade. — Make coffee as for breakfast; when cold, strain and use it 
instead of water in making lemonade. It is healthful and refreshing in hot 
weather. 

Effervescing Lemonade. — Into 2 cups granulated sugar work 30 drops of oil 
of lemon and sift; then sift in 2% oz. tartaric acid, and 2% oz. carbonate of soda; 
keep dry, in air-tight bottles. To use, stir 2 tablespoons into a glass of ice water. 

Invalid's Lemonade. — Into a glass or water put a few drops lemon extract, 
and 2 tablespoons of lemon sugar. Can be made when lemons are not attainable. 

Milk Lemonade. — In 4 cups boiling water dissolve 3 cups white sugar; add 3 
cups milk and 1 cup lemon juice. 

Portable Lemonade. — Mix thoroughly 6 oz. powdered sugar, 1 oz. powdered 
tartaric acid, and 1 drachm essence of lemon; dry thoroughly, divide into 24 parts 



BEVERAGES. 355 

and wrap each one in paper; each powder will make a nice glass of lemonade, and 
can be used at any time. 

Vinegar Water. — A little vinegar put into cold water, and then sweetened to 
taste, makes a pleasant beverage in hot weather. It is more refreshing and 
healthier than to drink large quantities of clear water. (It is the presence of the 
citric acid in lemons which makes lemonade so refreshing and healthful, and the 
acetic acid in vinegar serves much the same purpose.) 

Mead.— Take 6 cups sugar, 2 cups molasses, 3€ lb. tartaric acid; pour on 3 
pints boiling water, stir till dissolved, let cool, and add 1 spoonful essence of sas- 
safras, or flavor with fruit juices; then bottle for use. To serve, put 2 tablespoons 
into a tumbler % full of ice water, add % teaspoon of soda, stir it, and drink while 
foaming. 

Oatmeal Drink. — (1) Dissolve % cup of oatmeal in a jug of water; let settle, 
and drink cold. (2) Take % lb. sugar, % a lemon, sliced small, and % lb. fine 
oatmeal; mix them with a little warm water first, and then pour on 4 quarts boil- 
ing water; stir well together, let settle, and use cold. Any other flavoring can be 
used instead of the lemon if desired. (3) Mix together gradually in 4 quarts of 
boiling water % lb- sugar, % lb. fine oatmeal, and 4 oz. cocoa. Use when cold. 

About Summer Drinks.— In hot weather there is nothing which quenches the thirst 
better, or which is more healthful and refreshing than oatmeal drinks. If laboring men, 
harvest hands, etc., would use them more it would be a great advantage to them. For 
heavy work they are far better than either beer, cider or spirits. Boil the oatmeal if 
possible; if not mix it with cold water. When heavy work is to be done without time to 
stop and eat, make it stronger. It can be used cold in summer and hot in winter. Cold 
coffee is thirst-quenching; so is cold tea, but neither equals oatmeal. Cocoa is refreshing 
and nourishing. 

Orangeade. —(1) In 1 cup boiling water infuse the thin yellow rind of 2 oranges; 

then add % cup of sugar and the juice of 6 oranges; ice before serving. (2) Take 

1 lemon and 4 oranges, slice crossways, put into an earthen jug, add 4 cups boil- 
ing water, and let stand 1 hour, covered; then pour off, and ice before serving. 

Orgeate. — Blanch and pound in a mortar % lb. sweet and % oz. bitter almonds, 
working in gradually 2 tablespoons of orange flower water; then work in % pint' 
rose water and 1% cups pure water; strain, and add 3 cups simple syrup. Put it 
in a sauce-pan, boil up 1 minute, remove at once, and bottle. To use, add 1 
tablespoon to a tumbler of ice water, soda, or seltzer water. 

Pineapple Beverage. — Take 1 pineapple, peel, slice, and pound to a pulp. Take 

2 cups water, add % lb. sugar, boil, skim, and pour it hot on the pineapple pulp; 
add the juice of a lemon, and let stand 2 hours covered; then filter through cloth, 
and add 2 pints cold water. Ice when served. 

Persian Beverage. — Take 1 cup rose-water, 4 tablespoons of orange flower 
water, 2 cups strawberry juice, and 2 cups simple syrup; mix well together. Ice 
it when served. 

Raspberry Acid. — In 4 pints water dissolve 3 oz. tartaric acid; pour it over 4 
quarts raspberries and let stand 24 hours; strain without pressing, and to each 
pint of juice add 1% lbs. of sugar; stir till it dissolves, let stand 48 hours; bottle 
and seal. 

Raspberry Water. — Take 2 cups raspberry juice, 1 cup red currant juice, 2 
cups sugar, 2 pints water; mix well. 

Red Raspberry Shrub. — Pickle the raspberries in white wine vinegar for 1 
week; strain through a jelly bag, and to each pint of juice allow 1 pint sugar; 
boil gently % hour, and bottle. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons of the shrub to a glass of 
water. 

Raspberry Shrub No. 2. — On 3 quarts fresh berries pour 4 cups cider vinegar; 



356 BEVERAGES. 

let stand 1 day, strain, and pour the juice on 3 quarts fresh berries; let stand 24 
hours, strain, and to each pint of juice add 1 pint sugar; boil gently 10 minutes, 
skim, and bottle when cold. Use 2 or 3 tablespoons to a glass of water. 

Strawberry Shrub is made the same way. 

Strawberry Acid. — In 2 pints water dissolve 2 oz. citric acid; pour it on 4 
quarts ripe strawberries, let stand 24 hours; strain without pressing, and to each 
pint of juice add V% lbs. sugar; boil 10 minutes, let stand 3 days, and bottle. 

Strawberry Water. — Take 1 lb. ripe strawberries and 1 cup sugar; mash them 
together and add 1 cup cold water. Strain, and add the juice of 1 lemon. 

Tisane. — Take 2 oz. dates, figs or prunes, cut them up, add 5 cups water and 
boil 1 hour; strain through cloth and serve ice cold. Dilute with cold water if 
desired. 

Tomato Beverage. — Steam the tomatoes, mash them, and strain through 
cheese cloth; add % lb. sugar to each quart of juice and let stand 8 or 10 days; 
then drain the liquor from the settlings, bottle, and cork tight. It improves with 
age. To use, add 1 or 2 tablespoons to the pint of water, and sweeten to taste. 
A little lemon juice will improve it. 

Tutti Frutti. — Take 1 tablespoon mashed strawberries; 1 peach, cut fine; 1 
tablespoon pineapple, cut fine; the juice of %, a lemon; 1 tablespoon of sugar; 
mix well, strain through a jelly bag, and mix with pounded ice. 

Cider. — To improve cider, strain it through flannel while new and sweet, and 
put into each barrel 34 lb. white sugar, and suspend a bag of raisins in it. If 
acidity appears in cider, add a little baking soda which neutralizes the acid, but 
add it on the first appearance of the acidity. If cider turns black it is caused by 
the presence of oxide of iron which turns dark on exposure to the air; adding a 
little tartaric acid will usually correct it. 

Ginger Pop. — Infuse 8 oz. bruised root ginger in 5 gallons boiling water; add 
4 lbs. sugar, and 2 oz. cream of tartar, and 1 oz. tartaric acid; when lukewarm, 
strain, add 1 quart yeast, and 1 bottle lemon essence to flavor; let stand over 
night and bottle. 

Lemon Beer. — Into 2 gallons of boiling water put 2 lbs. sugar, the thin yellow 
peel of 2 lemons, and 1 oz. bruised ginger; when lukewarm add % pint yeast; let 
stand over night, or a little longer, to ferment, and bottle. 

Spruce Beer.— Into 4 gallons of water put 3 lbs. sugar, % oz. essence of spruce, 
a little zest of lemon, 1 oz. ginger, and 3^ pint of yeast; let stand 24 hours, and 
bottle. * 

SYRUPS. 

Fruit syrups are made by adding enough sugar to fruit juices to preserve 
them. Fine flavored fruit should be used, because syrup of fine flavor cannot be 
made from fruit lacking flavor. Decayed fruit also will affect the flavor of the 
syrup, and should not be used. If fruit juice is allowed to stand 2 or 3 days until 
fermentation begins, it will change the pectose it contains so that it will not 
jelly, and jellying is not desired with fruit syrups. They should be made in 
granite, porcelain or aluminum kettles, as the acids the fruit juices contain will 
act on other metals, and change and injure the color of the syrups, while in 
metals like brass, tin, and copper they will also develop poisonous compounds. 
If boiled hard, or heated too hot, it will injure the flavor and color of the syrups. 
A double boiler is the best to use to prevent this. Stir syrups with a wooden 
spoon. 

Fruit syrups can be used when fruits are out of season, and they not only 
make delicious drinks, but they can also be used for puddings, water ices and 
ice creams. They are best kept in a dark, dry, and cool place. 



BEVERAGES. 357 

Simple Syrup.— Take 2 quarts water and 7 lbs. white sugar; heat gently until 
dissolved, and strain. 

Barberry Syrup. — Take good ripe barberries, strip them, and put them in a 
porcelain kettle with water enough to cover them; let them simmer gently, but 
do not boil or burn them, and when done squeeze out and strain the juice; allow 
1 quart sugar to 1 pint of juice and set the pitcher holding them into a pan of 
boiling water until the sugar is dissolved; then bottle it. 

Blackberry Syrup. — Take Y z gallon blackberry juice, add 4 cups white sugar 
(heaping), ^£ oz. each of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg, and ^ oz. cloves, 
pulverize the spice, boil all for % hour, strain, and when cold, bottle and cork 
closely. 

Cherry Syrup.— Bruise 6 lbs. cherries with the stones in (breaking them); add 

3 cups hot water and boil % hour, strain through a jelly bag, add 3 lbs. sugar, 
and boil until it will sink to the bottom of a cup of water when dropped from a 
spoon; then turn into jelly cups and cover with paper dipped in the white of egg. 
To use for a drink, put a spoonful in a glass of water, let stand 10 minutes, stir 
it, and fill with pounded ice if you have it. 

Currant Syrup. — Mash the currants, cover them over, and let them stand 3 or 

4 days to ferment; then strain through a jelly bag, and allow 2 lbs. sugar to each 
pint of juice; dissolve the sugar slowly (in a farina boiler is best, as there is no 
danger of its burning), and then let it become cold; put it in small bottles, 
filling them full; seal tightly and put away. 

Raspberry Syrup can be made the same way. 

Lemon Syrup. — In a porcelain pan dissolve 2 lbs. white sugar and 2 cups cold 
water, and let it boil 2 minutes; then add the juice of 4 lemons, and % oz. tartaric 
acid; after it has cooled a little add % teaspoon lemon essence. When quite cold, 
bottle it. 

Lemon Syrup No. 2. — Rub the yellow rind of 6 lemons with 1 lb. lump sugar; 
moisten the sugar with as much water as it will absorb, and boil it to a clear 
syrup; to this (without letting it boil any more) add the juice of 1 doz. lemons, 
stirring it beside the fire; bottle it at once, and cork when cold. 

Lemon Syrup No. 3. — Mix 4 cups water and 2 lbs. sugar, and boil till clear; 
when cool, add 1 teaspoon essence of lemon and 1 oz. citric acid, and bottle 
when cold. 

Orange Syrup. — Select fine, ripe oranges, extract the juice, and to each pint 
add 1 pint sugar; boil gently 10 minutes, skim and bottle when cold. An excel- 
lent flavor for sauces, as well as a delightful drink. 

Rose Syrup.— Take % lb. rose leaves, pour on 1 pint of boiling water and let 
stand till next day; strain through muslin, add 2 lbs. sugar, and heat in a double 
boiler until the sugar is dissolved; let it cool, and bottle when cold. 

For Violet Syrup use violets in like manner, but do not allow the calyx or stalks 
to be mixed with the leaves. 

Sarsaparilla Syrup. — Into 5 quarts of water put % lb. Spanish sarsaparilla, and 
boil until it is reduced to 2 quarts; add 2% oz. tartaric acid and 4 lbs. sugar; mix, 
boil 3 minutes and bottle. To use, put 2 tablespoons in a glass of water, add a 
little soda, and drink when it effervesces. 

Strawberry Syrup. — Wash the strawberries, and strain through a jelly-bag; 
prepare a syrup and bring it to the "soft ball degree'' as directed in "Candy 
making," and to each pint of the syrup add 1 pint of the strawberry juice; bring 
it to a boil, skim, and remove from the fire. Bottle and seal when cold. 



358 BEVERAGES. 

Pineapple Syrup can be prepared by gradually adding strained pineapple 
juice to the syrup, instead of the strawberry juice, and finishing the same way. 

Tomato Syrup. — Take good ripe tomatoes, squeeze out the juice, and to each 
pint of juice add % lb. sugar; bottle and set away. No alcohol is needed to pre- 
serve it. It will keep for years, makes a delightful beverage for the sick, and 
will resemble pure wine in flavor. 

Vanilla Syrup. — Take 2 quarts of simple syrup, into some of it rub % oz. citric 
acid; add % oz - fluid extract of vanilla, and mix all; then bottle. 

Wintergreen Syrup. — To 2J^ quarts of simple syrup add 25 drops oil of win- 
tergreen, and burnt sugar enough to color it. 

Artificial Honey. — (1) Take 10 lbs. good brown sugar, add 4 lbs. water and 
gradually bring it to a boil, skimming it well. When it has become cooled, 
add 2 lbs. bee's honey and 8 drops of peppermint. A better article can be made 
with white sugar instead of brown, with 1 lb. less of water and 1 lb. more of sugar. 
(2) Another recipe is: Take 20 lbs. coffee sugar, 6 lbs. water, 4 oz. cream tartar, 
4 tablespoons vinegar (strong), the whites of 2 eggs, well beaten, 1 lb. bee's honey, 
20 drops Lubin's extract of honeysuckle. Place the water and sugar in a kettle 
and place over a fire; when lukewarm add the cream of tartar, stirring at the 
time; then add the egg, and when the sugar is melted put in the honey and stir 
it well until it comes to a boil; then take off, let stand 5 minutes, strain, and add 
the extract last. Let it stand over night and it is ready for use. 






INVALID COOKERY. 

While in robust health the appetite is undoubtedly an admirable guide in the 
choice of foods, but when debility and disease are present intelligent knowledge 
of the properties of different foods is necessary, and experience should guide in 
administering them. Ignorance in a sickroom is most deplorable, even when 
accompanied by the utmost family affection. In many disorders a knowledge of 
dietetics is as important as a knowledge of materia medica, for the action of a 
medicine may be counteracted by unsuitable diet. When a patient is very sick 
the diet is prescribed by the doctor, and his directions in regard to the foods to 
be given should be carried out quite as implicitly as they are in giving the 
medicine, for they are usually quite as important. Many persons have a super- 
stitious faith in the cravings of the sick and will disobey the doctor to gratify the 
patient, but this is very unwise, as in disease the appetite is not a safe guide, and 
many a patient has been seriously injured or even killed by such folly. In some 
cases, (notably after fever) the patient developes a surprising' appetite which, in 
the state of his digestive organs, it would be dangerous to gratify. Other patients 
will actually sink from exhaustion while refusing all food. Still, if a desire for 
any particular article is expressed it would be well to call the doctor's attention 
to it, as it may be a valuable indication of the needs of the system. 

In general it may be said that in feeding the sick 2 objects are kept in view: (1) 
to choose the food which will give least work to the part of the digestive canal 
which is most deranged; (2) to compensate for the waste or drain upon the system. 
The doctor should thoroughly understand the process of digestion, the needs of 
the system and the composition of foods, and be able to make the selection of 
foods more skilfully than an untrained person. It is sometimes thought that 
when a person is ill he should be coaxed or coerced into taking as much food as 
possible, but it should be remembered that it is only the food which is assimilated 
by the system which is of any real benefit to the patient, and to overload the 
feeble digestive organs, will impose a burden that will be a positive detriment; 
therefore, in case of serious illness, get directions from the doctor regarding the 
quantity as well as kind of food to be given. The preparation and cooking of 
food should be thoroughly understood by a good nurse, so that should any dish 
be sent from the kitchen imperfectly prepared, directions can be given how this 
can be remedied. 

The conditions of different patients vary so greatly (one may be suffering from 
an acute disease like a fever, while another has some lingering chronic disease; 
one may be suffering from over-work and nervous prostration, while another 
suffers from a lack of exercise, and so on) that it is evident that no exact rules 
can be given which will apply to all cases, but the following hints in regard to 
sickroom feeding may be suggestive to our readers. 

(1) Give little food and often. What is eaten with a relish does more good 
than twice as much swallowed with disgust, so do not urge a patient to swallow 
large quantities at once; but remember also that very sick people often refuse to 
swallow anything, though they may be actually sinking for want of food. 

(2) Let the food come at stated times and punctually. A convalescent looks 
forward to meals a£ the great events of the day, and frets and worries if they do 
not come on time, and a very weak patient may faint and flag if instead of an 
hour it is 20 or 30 minutes longer than that between the times of feeding. If 
obliged to wait long, a patient may lose the desire to eat, and turn against the 
food when brought. 

(3) As a rule, patients should not be awakened to be fed, though it may some- 
times be necessary to do so. Amateur nurses often forget to feed patients in the 
small hours of the morning, although at that time the patient's strength is at the 
lowest ebb. 

(4) When there is no appetite, give such food as affords the most nourishment 
for the least work to the system. When very weak, the exertion of eating is quite 
a tax, so put the greatest amount of nourishment in the least space. 

(359) 



360 INVALID COOKERY. 

(5) Endeavor to give the food most appreciated by the patient, provided it is 
not injurious. Do not let a convalescent know before hand what the bill of fare 
will be, as surprises are often very pleasing to hirn. 

(6) For a convalescent the food should be as varied as possible, for invalids 
easily tire of the same thing. If the food may not be varied the mode of serving 
it may, and a stray flower or a new plate is better than no variety at all. 

(7) For invalids never make a large quantity of one thing, as they seldom 
require much at a time. Only as much as the patient is likely to eat should be 
taken into the sickroom, and at once remove what remains. Never leave food at 
the bed-side or about a sickroom; if the patient cannot eat it, take it away and 
bring it again in 1 or 2 hours. As a rule nothing made for an invalid is fit to be used 
a day after it has been prepared, and neither food nor drink, except in cases of 
absolute necessity, should be kept in the invalid's room, as the air and temperature 
are apt to hasten decomposition . 

(8) In case of infectious fevers all remains of food should at once be burned, 
and on no account be eated by another person. The nurse should not eat in the 
sickroom. 

(9) Have every thing tempting in appearance and daintily served. See that 
the linen is spotless, and the prettiest china used to hold the sick one's food. 
Never give an invalid soiled or crumpled napkins. See what we say about crumbs 
in our article on the "Sickroom." 

(10) Do not put a very little broth in a very large basin. If a limited amount 
of drink is to be given it is better to put the right amount in a small glass than 
to hand a large -glass full, and tell him how many swallows to take. Gruel served 
in a tumbler is more appetizing than when served in a basin or cup and saucer. 
It is better not to have a cup more than % full, and then it will be less likely to 
spill over. Never have anything spilled into the saucer on handing an invalid a 
cup and saucer. Little things like these tell on the sensitive nerves of an invalid 
more than many people think. 

(11) Sponge the hands and face of an invalid carefully before serving any 
meal. 

(12) If a feeding cup is used, scald it carefully and keep it quite clean; warm 
it before using it for hot food. Keep one for milk, and lay that in water; have a 
separate cup for beef tea and broth. 

When much fever is present very little gastric juice is secreted, and therefore 
at the commencement of a fever there is little craving for anything but cold water. 
All nourishment given in high fever should be in fluid form, and it is very doubt- 
ful if starch can then be converted into sugar. All this will be plain by referring 
to our article elsewhere on the "Processes of Digestion." Lemonade is agreeable 
as the acid taste pleases the patient's palate, and the sugar passes into the system 
without digestion or making any demands on the powers of the stomach, and 
various other drinks can be given. As the fever subsides the gastric and intes- 
tinal juices are sufficiently secreted to digest farinaceous foods, and the medical 
man can decide in each case what articles are most suitable. By degrees the 
patient is able to satisfy his natural appetite, convalescence becomes more rapid, 
and by-and-by steaks and other food can be eaten again. This would be dietetic 
regimen. 

The following quotation from Dr. Pavy's "Treatise on Food and Dietetics," 
will be of interest and value. Regarding the foods which may be given patients 
as convalescence advances, he says: "In febrile, acute, inflammatory, and other 

conditions where an absence of digestive power prevails the food should 

be confined to such articles as beef tea, mutton, veal, or chicken broth, whey, 
calf's foot, and other kinds of jelly, arrowroot, and such like farinaceous articles, 
barley water, rice, mucilage, gum-water, fruit jelly, and the juice of fruits, as 
lemons, oranges, etc., made into drinks .... Where a little latitude is allowable, 
the employment of milk and eggs in a fluid form may be sanctioned. Bread jelly, 
which is made by steeping bread in boiling water and passing it through a sieve 
while still hot, is also an article that may be used either alone or boiled with 
milk. From this, as circumstances permit, an advance may. be made to sub- 
stances which do not throw much work on the stomach, such as rice, sago, tap- 
ioca, bread and custard puddings, and stale bread and toast sopped. Next may 

be allowed fish which should be boiled or broiled, and not fried. As power 

becomes restored, calves' feet, chicken, game and butcher's meat — mutton to 



INVALID COOKERY. 361 

begin with — may be permitted to follow," and so on till ordinary diet is reached. 
The object is to convey fuel-foods (carbohydrates) to the system, and only enough 
albumenoids (flesh formers) for repairing the tissues. Later, an abundance of 
albumenoids will be needed to rebuild the wasted tissues. 

In cases of fever, pure milk as the main article of diet is superior to anything 
else, especially in fevers which cause disturbance of the stomach and bowels. 
Beef tea, which is commonly used, is often irritating; but milk is soothing, cool- 
ing, and at the same time nourishing. A patient who can take milk has a greater 
chance of recovery. With some persons it does not agree, either in sickness or 
health. Mixing % to % its quantity of lime water with it will help it with some. 
Soda water and milk, or seltzer water and milk, agree with some. Boiled milk is 
more digestible with some, especially hot boiled milk. Only in rare cases should 
the cream be removed. The slightest souring is sufficient to make milk disagree 
with a patient. In the early stages of convalescence, hot milk, given often in 
small quantities,with a little toasted bread, or thin gruel added, is often excellent. 
In chronic disorders of the stomach and boivels a milk diet is most valuable. It 
allows the stomach to have almost absolute rest, which is often all that is 
required. As it is already prepared for absorption into the system it, in fact, 
requires no digestion. When milk is constipating, a little salt sprinkled in each 
glassful will obviate the difficulty. When it has an opposite effect, a few drops 
of brandy in each tumbler of milk will prevent purgation. If diluted with % 
lime water it will rarely cause biliousness or indigestion. The idea that milk 
should not be eaten wi'th pickles is a mistake, as it is curdled by the gastric juice 
as soon as swallowed, but it is better to be sipped in small quantities than taken 
in large amounts at one time if acids accompany it. 

Cream can often be taken freely when nothing else will remain on the stom- 
ach. It should always be fresh, and may be diluted with water or given pure. In 
many chronic diseases it is irreplaceable by any other article whatever. With 
many people it is easier of digestion than milk, and it seldom disagrees. 

Buttermilk is often very useful. It is almost always allowable in sickness, 
especially in fevers with gastric symptoms. 

Whey is often found useful when every preparation of fresh milk disagrees. 
It is not very nourishing, but is digestible, and is a refreshing drink in inflamma- 
tory disorders. It is rich in organic salts. 

The fats for the system are best obtained by using cream, or butter which is 
next best, rather than fatty meats. Do not have the butter made into a sauce, 
nor melted and soaked into food. When exposed to heat (as for buttered toast) 
it is very likely to disagree with dyspeptics and other invalids. All decomposing 
fats, as a rule, disagree with the stomach. The value of cod liver oil in many 
diseases consists in the fact that it is the most easily digested of fats, not even 
excepting cream. 

Eggs are nutritious and easily digested when raw or lightly cooked; they are 
more digestible if beaten to a froth. Do not submit them to a high temperature 
in cooking, for, as we explain elsewhere, that will make them tough and indiges- 
tible. The white is least likely to disagree with a bilious patient. Use only fresh 
eggs for invalids. Eggs boiled 20 minutes are more digestible than when boiled 
10; boiled 10 minutes, they become tough and horny, but become mealy and dry 
when cooked 20 minutes and crumble up readily so that they are easily acted on 
by the gastric juices. Eggs in the tough and horny state are insoluble, and 
pieces often stay in the digestive tract till they decompose, when they emit ammo- 
nia and sulphuretted hydrogen which are injurious to the system. 

Beef Tea is not a nourishing food, although it used to be so considered, and it 
is now known to have more value as a stimulant than as food, properly speaking, 
and yet many persons place their main reliance on it, and think the more 
a patient swallows the sooner he will recover. It should be combined with 
other foods, or given alternately when possible, and when containing farinacious 
foods it is useful. If well made, it is a pleasant and refreshing beverage. A 
healthy man would starve on beef tea alone, and so would an invalid. 

Broth made from chicken is more nutritious than that made from either 
beef or mutton, and the sick often find it very useful. The meat extracts (Liebig's 
and others) are made by boiling lean meat in water, and then taking out the insol- 
uble parts and evaporating it down. As some of the most nutritious parts of the 
meat are insoluble in water the extracts contain comparatively little nourish- 



362 INVALID COOKERY. 

ment. Their principal value is as stimulants, and they often improve the appe- 
tite so that more nutritious foods are craved and digested. Other food, there- 
fore, should be given with them. A German took 2 dogs and gave one meat 
extract and the other water, and nothing else. The one given the extract lost 
flesh faster and died before the one having only water. 

Jelly, Gelatine and Isinglass have excited much discussion. Alone they are 
of little value, and it is a mistake to place much reliance on them for nourish- 
ment. (See our remarks on this subject under the head of "Gelatine Prepara- 
tions.") 

Toast is valuable for invalids because by toasting part of the starch is turned 
into dextrin, which is easily digested. Cut the bread thin, hold it a little ways 
from the tire to dry, then hold it closer till it browns. Serve it dry, or buttered 
lightly, or with hot water or milk poured on it. 

Flour, Rice, Barley and Oats are preferable to arrowroot, sago, tapioca, etc., for 
nourishment, if suitably prepared. Browned flour we mention elsewhere. Rice 
is valuable for invalids, as it taxes the digestive powers very little. It can be 
roasted like coffee; then cook it in the usual way, and serve it with cream. Bar- 
ley for invalids should be thoroughly cooked. Use oatmeal cautiously until the 
digestive powers become strong. Cornmeal because of its fat is valuable for thin, 
chilly invalids, but cook it thoroughly. Macaroni is nutritious and easily 
digested. 

Fine Flour Bread is indigestible because it does not readily separate into par- 
ticles in the stomach, so as to be readily attacked by the digestive fluids. A little 
fine Indian meal added to fine flour bread will obviate this difficulty and cause it 
to separate quickly. Cornmeal is also loosening in its effects upon the digestive 
organs, therefore in a relaxed condition of the bowels cornmeal should be avoided. 
Maltine, taken with fine flour bread or biscuit, will assist digestion Thorough 
mastication must be insisted on, for that is the first process of the thorough 
digestion of all starch foods in which fine flour is used. (See our article on "Pro- 
cesses of Digestion.") 

Tea, Coffee and Cocoa. — Tea is often misused for invalids. A little tea or 
coffee restores them quite as much as a great deal. As a rule, do not give either 
after five o'clock in the afternoon. Sleeplessness in the early night is generally 
from excitement, and is increased by tea or coffee; in the early morning it comes 
from exhaustion, and is relieved by tea. In general, the dry and coated tongue 
prefers tea to coffee. Coffee is a better restorative than tea. Cocoa is often rec- 
ommended instead of tea or coffee, but it has a very different effect. It is a food 
rather than a beverage, owing to its fatty character, and for invalids it has no 
restorative or stimulating effect, and its fat is often oppressive to a weak 
stomach. 

Vegetables. — If an invalid is allowed to eat vegetables, be careful to choose 
only such as are young and tender, perfectly fresh, and sufficiently cooked; never 
send them up half done. The cabbage tribe are unsuitable, as they are likely to 
produce flatulence, and all the pulses are difficult of digestion. A mealy old 
potato is more digestible than a new one. The best way to use it is to boil, remove 
the inside, mash thoroughly, and use a little salt and cream to season it. 

The Principles Involved in Boiling Vegetables.— These are not generally under- 
stood, and this may be a good place to explain them. Each minute granule of si arch, in 
its original state, is surrounded by a thin sheath of cellulose, much like the shell on a 
chestnut; this cellulose sheath is nearly insoluble in the digestive fluids, so that they can- 
not get at the starch inside. In boiling, the starch swells and bursts this sheath; the starch 
thus liberated is readily attacked by the digestive fluids, which turn itinto sugar, and then 
it is assimilated by the system. The object, therefore, in boiling any form of starch is 
merely to burst these cells, and that is best done by having the water as hot as possible, 
and by keeping it boiling actively as long as the article is in it. As soon as the starch cells 
burst, however, the vegetable should be taken out, as, if it is left in longer, the starch will 
absorb water and deteriorate. When starch is improperly cooked its digestion is very diffi- 
cult and much waste is caused the system, which is quite a loss even to one in good health; 
but for invalids it is particularly important that the starch should be suitably cooked so as 
to be easily digested. The difference in the digestibility of different forms of uncooked 
starch (which is alluded to on page 17) is caused by the fact that the cellulose coating in 
some forms of starch is tougher than in others. When properly cooked, so that its cellulose 
sheath is burst open, all forms of starch are about equally digestible. 

In baking potatoes the heat of the oven causes the starch granules to swell and burst 
their shea shs, much as a chestnut or a grain of popcorn bursts open when roasted, thus liber- 
ating the starch. 

The juice of fruits can be used early in convalescence for preparing drinks 



INVALID COOKERY. 363 

for an invalid, but do not use the pulp. When fruits can be used again a baked 
apple can first be safely eaten. 

The appetite may be unimpaired or even greatly increased in many chronic 
diseases, like dyspepsia, etc., and in these cases there will be danger of yielding 
to the claims of appetite and overstepping the bounds of prudence, so that an 
undue amount or an unsuitable food may be eaten, for which reason it is of great 
importance for such persons to pay attention to some suitable rules for the diet. 

People who are subject to gout and biliousness should remember that "bile- 
poison" and "gout-poison" are of albumenoid descent, and that they follow a diet 
too rich in albumenoids like the avenging fates. The system requires for the 
growth and repair of its tissues a certain amount of albumenoids, but when an 
excess is eaten the surplus is imperfectly oxydized and the blood becomes laden 
with waste, and the result is biliousness or gout. People with a tendency to 
these diseases should eat very sparingly of albumenoid foods . like meat, eggs, 
beans, cheese, etc. 

People with a tendency to consumption should eat nutritious and easily 
digested foods, and plenty of fats in their most easily digested form, such as cream, 
good butter, oil and salads, oatmeal, cornmeal, etc., rather than in the indigestible 
form they assume when mixed with starch. 

Diet. — Every year diet plays a larger part in the skilled treatment of disease; 
it is harmless where drugs are dangerous, and it can often cure where drugs are 
useless or worse. There are many diseases where the only hope of cure or allevia- 
tion lies in rigid abstinence from certain kinds of food, and in many common 
ailments some slight change of diet is by far the best remedy. 

A deficiency of oil or fat in the diet developes scrofulous diseases, and yet we 
often hear, when fat meats, cream, butter, etc., are suggested for scrofulous 
children "0, that will feed the disease," when that is likely to be the one thing 
that would most assist a cure. Fat is heat giving, and is naturally craved by 
most delicate children. The following is about the proportion of fat in the 
different grains: Rice 1; Rye 1.75; Wheat 2.10; Oats 3.30; Indian Corn 5 (the 
amount of oil varies in different varieties of corn, the northern yellow containing 
much more than the southern white). Oatmeal porridge and milk have, with 
intelligent people, long been regarded as the best food for the nursery. It owes 
its chief value for that purpose to its large amount of fat, but with many children 
it does not agree, and cornmeal porridge possessing so much fat can often be 
used in its place to advantage. Thoroughly cook it always, as it is only indigesti- 
ble when improperly prepared. The dietary for children from 2^ to 7 years of 
age, which has been settled by long experiment in various children's hospitals is 
as follows: At least 12 ounces of bread daily; 1 oz. butter; % pint of milk; 2 oz. 
meat; 6 oz. vegetables; 6 oz. gruel or porridge. Rapidly growing children require 
an abundance of meat (or albumenoids) to build up the rapidly growing system. 

Lime. — In parts of the country where lime does not exist in the soil, so that 
the water is deficient in lime, use % P m t °f lime water with the mixing for bread 
every time bread is made. In this way children will get the lime which is nec- 
essary for the proper solidifying of the bones, and the preservation of the teeth. 
We explain elsewhere how to make lime water. 

When a patient suffers from sickness and nausea every food should be given 
iced, or as cold as possible, and in the smallest quantities, and it will be a good 
plan to slip a little piece of ice into the patient's mouth immediately after giving 
the food. 

Ice for the sickroom can be nicely kept through the night by tying a piece of 
strainer cloth over a large pitcher, with a piece of twine around it, leaving a sag 
in the center on which may be placed 1 or 2 pounds of ice — enough to serve the 
invalid through the night. Fold up the corners of the cloth over the ice, and 
cover it again with a square of canton flannel, folded 4 double. When a bit of ice 
is needed have at hand a large darning needle and thimble; press steadily on a 
corner of the ice with the needle, and flake off pieces as needed. The water in 
the bottom of the pitcher can be poured through the strainer without disturbing 
the ice which is covered with the corners of the strainer. 

Fat may be removed from beef tea or broth by letting it get cold, when it can 
all be taken off; or, if in haste, by drawing a piece of blotting paper edgeways 
over the surface, and it will take up the fatty particles. In some cases a little fat 
will be beneficial; in others it is better to remove it all. 



364 INVALID COOKERY. 

Milk Soup. — Use 1 quart of new milk, 1 saltspoon of salt, 1 saltspoon of 
powdered cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar; scald all together for an 
hour in a pitcher set in a kettle of water; then add the well-beaten yolks of 2 
eggs. Good for delicate persons and children. 

Mutton Broth. — Boil slowly about 2 lbs. of lean mutton for 2 hours; skim it 
carefully; do not put in too much salt — more can be added if needed; a little 
barley or rice may be added; strain, and take off all fat with blotting paper drawn 
across it. 

Chicken Broth. — Put half a chicken into a small stew-pan with a teaspoon of 
rice, a little pepper and salt. Cover with cold water and boil slowly until the 
meat falls from the bones; then take out the chicken, leave the rice in, and serve. 
Very nutritious. 

Essence of Meat. — Take 1 pound of good lean beef (have it free from fat and 
skin), chop it into small pieces, and put it into a glass fruit jar adding 1 tablespoon 
of water, and screw on the cover; set it in cold water, heat gradually to 150° to 
160° (don't let it boil), and keep it there 2 hours; the water in the outside kettle 
must not get into the fruit jar; remove all fat with a piece of clean blotting 
paper, and add salt and pepper to taste. Chicken or any other meat can be 
treated the same way. The pure essence of meat, thus extracted, will be received 
by the most delicate stomach, and is also valuable where considerable nutriment 
is required in a concentrated form. A single tablespoonf ul can be taken by an 
invalid, and would afford as much sustenance as 34 pint of broth. It becomes a 
jelly when cold, and may in this way be eaten with chicken or game. 

Stewed Beef Essence. — Cut J£ lb. of beef into bits, salt it, and in a few minutes, 
squeeze it, let it stand J^ hour, heat hot, but do not boil it, and serve at once. 

Broiled Beef Juice. — Broil % lb. of round steak 1 or 2 minutes on each side, 
cut in bits, squeeze out the juice, salt and serve. 

Broiled Steak. — Wipe the steak with a clean, wet cloth, take a piece of the 
fat to grease the gridiron, broil over a bright fire 4 or 5 minutes, turn often, put 
on a hot plate, season with salt, pepper and a little butter. 

Toasted Mutton. — Cut very thin slices from loin of mutton, with a sharp knife. 
Lay each slice on a toasting-fork, and toast over a clear hot fire. Sprinkle with 
a little pepper and salt. It may be eaten with a thin piece of toast. 

Meat Patty. — Scrape a piece of lean beef -steak with a very dull knife, holding 
it with the left hand, and scraping from you with the right. This removes the 
tender meat fiber and leaves the tough connective tissue. Press the former into 
a thin cake or patty, and broil on a toasting fork over a very hot fire. When 
done, season to taste. Eaten with toast or thin cut bread and butter it makes a 
very delicate dish. The cake or patty, prepared as above, may also be fried in a 
little butter, and will be found very nutritious, and a weak stomach will retain it. 

Kaw Beef Sandwiches. — Scrape fine 2 or 3 tablespoons of raw, juicy, tender 
beef, season slightly with salt and pepper, spread on thin slices of bread, and put 
it in a toaster and toast slightly. 

Cooking Eggs for Invalids. — Put 3 cups of boiling water into a skillet and add 
a cup of sweet milk and a little salt. Have it boiling hot, then break the eggs in, 
and cover and set back where they will not boil. Let the eggs remain in until 
they cook white on top, but not hard. 

Steamed Eggs. — Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of new milk in plain patty tins, and 
break fresh eggs into them; add a little salt and put into the steamer and steam 
until white, over the yolks, but not long enough to harden them. Both of these 
are very nice and look very inviting. 



INVALID COOKERY. 365 

Beef Tea.— Mince a pound of tender beef, free from fat, and put it into a cov- 
ered crockery jar; pour on barely enough cold water to cover the meat, and allow 
it to soak 2 or 3 hours; then place it on the stove or in a moderate oven, and let 
it simmer (don't let it boil — it should not go above 160°) for 2 or 3 hours longer, 
adding a little water from time to time as it evaporates; strain and season to 
taste. To make it more nourishing a little arrowroot, rice or barley may be 
added. 

Mutton or Veal may be treated the same way. 

If beef tea must be had quickly broil a thick piece of steak, turning it often, 
to keep in the juices, as explained elsewhere for broiling; then cut it into small 
pieces, and press it in a lemon squeezer. 

Prof. Liebig's Beef Tea. — A saltspoon of the extract (Liebig's) is stirred in a 
cup of boiling water. Add salt and pepper as desired. If too much of the extract 
is used, which is a common mistake, the drink has a bitter taste. Dry toast eaten 
with it makes a palatable dish. 

Broiled Beef Tea. — Broil % lb. °i lean, juicy beef 1 minute on each side, cut 
in small pieces, pour over it ~% cup of boiling water, squeeze it, salt the juice and 
serve instantly. Do not heat it again. 

Stewed Beef Tea. — Use % lb. of round steak, cut fine, soak it in 1 cup of water 
3^ hour, let it heat (not boil), strain, salt and serve. (In making beef tea it is well 
to know that 1 lb. of the round will yield 4 oz. of beef extract, and contains more 
nutriment and is much cheaper than that bought ready prepared.) 

Apple Water.— Cut 3 or 4 apples in slices, pour boiling water over, allow to 
stand 2 or 3 hours, strain, and sweeten slightly. This is a very refreshing drink. 

Barley Water.— To 1 cup of barley (first washed) add 1 quart of water. Allow 
to simmer until % has boiled away. Strain, and to this add a tablespoon of 
sugar dissolved in 1 cup of hot water. This is an excellent drink in fibrile affec- 
tions; also it is very refreshing and somewhat nourishing. To make a mild 
laxative drink for children, add to the barley 8 or 10 figs cut in pieces. It is a 
delightful drink, and quite laxative. 

Rice Water. — Wash 2 oz. of rice; boil 1 hour in 2 quarts of water; strain, and 
sweeten; flavor with nutmeg. It is a very pleasant drink and efficacious in the 
bowel trouble of children. 

Toast Water. — Cut 4 slices of bread thin; toast to near burning. Pour over 
them 1 quart of boiling water and allow to cool, and strain. It may be flavored 
with a little lemon juice. This is a most wholesome and refreshing drink. 

Hot Lemonade. — Peel the yellow rind off 1 lemon, squeeze, and add a glass of 
boiling water; sweeten with crushed sugar. This is an excellent drink in the 
feverish condition of colds. It will quickly induce perspiration. 

Egg and Lemon Juice. — Dissolve" 1 oz. sugar in 1 pint of water, and stir in the 
juice of 1 lemon; add the white of 1 egg and froth up. Ice it if desired. 

Egg Drink. — Use 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teacup milk. Beat the egg well 
in a cup with the sugar, put the milk on to boil, and when it boils pour it over 
the egg, beating with a fork all the time. It is refreshing and invigorating. 

Egg and Lime Water.— To'a wine glass of lime water add the white of 1 egg 
beaten so it will not string. Give it in small quantity and often. It is excellent 
in obstinate vomiting and irritation of the stomach. 

Lime Water. — Put 2 teaspoons of lime water in^ tumbler of milk; add a little 
sugar to taste. This will often be retained when the stomach rejects all other 
kinds of food. The same may be said of milk and soda water in equal propor- 
tions. We explain elsewhere how to make lime water. 



366 INVALID COOKERY. 

Flaxseed Tea. — To 1 cup water allow 1 tablespoon flaxseed; pour on the water 
boiling hot, boil 5 minutes and strain. Sweeten with sugar, and for flavor add a 
little lemon or orange juice. 

Linseed Tea. — Boil 2 tablespoons of the unground linseed in 3 pints of water 
until reduced to a quart; strain, and add lemon juice to relieve the flat taste. A 
very useful drink in colds and coughs. It is also good in affections of the urinary 
organs. 

Licorice Tea. — Take 2 oz. each of licorice and marshmallow root; boil in 3 
pints of water down to a quart. Allow it to stand to settle; then strain through 
muslin. It is a very desirable drink in colds, etc. 

Slippery Elm Tea. — Boil 1 oz. in a quart of water until % has boiled away. 
Pour off, and flavor with lemon juice if desired. Useful in same cases as the 
former. 

Rennet Whey. — Infuse a piece of the rennet in a little boiling water, as for 
making cheese; let it remain 1 or 2 hours; put a tablespoon of this fluid into 3 
pints of new milk, just warmed (not hot). Cover it with a cloth and let stand 
still until the curd is formed thick on the top; press out, and use the whey. 

Wine Whey. — Add to a pint of milk, brought to the boiling point, sufficient 
madeira or sherry wine to coagulate it. Strain, sweeten or flavor to the taste. 

Rice and Milk. — Wash 3 tablespoons of rice; put in a sauce-pan with a pint 
of milk; allow to simmer until rice is soft, stirring from time to time to prevent 
burning; sweeten and flavor to taste. This is a nice dish for children, especially 
when troubled with summer complaint. 

Tapioca, Macaroni, Vermicelli, etc., may be treated in the same way. They 
make very palatable dishes. 

Swiss Cream. — Boil a pint of cream or milk with a little cinnamon or lemon 
peel; rub a teaspoon of flour in a small quantity of milk, and add it to the rest, 
stirring it on the fire. 

Asses' Milk. — This is much like human milk in consistency, but contains a lit- 
tle less cream and more soft caseous matter. It is often used by persons afflicted 
by lung affections, and is considered very strengthening. 

Artificial asses' milk may be made by dissolving 2 oz. of sugar of milk in 1 
pint of warm, skimmed, cow's milk. Another recipe for artificial asses' milk is 
% oz. of gelatine dissolved in a quart of hot barley water, then add 1 oz. of refined 
sugar, and then 1 pint of new cow's milk and beat all together. 

Goat's Milk. — This is considered very good for invalids in some conditions. It 
resembles cow's milk, but the butter contained in it is harder than that of the 
cow. 

Artificial goafs milk is made by taking a piece of fresh calf's suet the size of 
an egg, tying it in a cloth, scalding it in a quart of new milk, and adding a level 
tablespoon of granulated sugar. The suet must be cut finely, or chopped, and 
tied loosely in a thin piece of muslin or lace. This is excellent for scrofulous 
children, and any person suffering from affections of the lungs. 

Frangipane. — This is a preparation for invalids made by evaporating to a 
thick consistency (in a double boiler) milk mixed with blanched and pounded 
sweet almonds, and a little sugar. 

Suet and Milk. — To 1 pint of new milk add 1 cup of scraped veal suet and a 
teaspoon of sugar. Scald together for an hour, then strain, and add a little flav- 
oring if liked. This is a nourishing drink for an invalid or delicate child. 

Arrowroot. — Mix 2 teaspoons of arrowroot with 1 tablespoon of cold water f 



INVALID COOKERY. 367 

then add % pint of boiling milk and boil 10 minutes. Sweeten to taste and add 
nutmeg or powdered cinnamon. It is light and agreeable for a delicate stomach. 

Arrowroot.— This is a species of starch obtained from the roots of a variety of plants 
cultivated chiefly in the West Indies. The origin of the name is said to be the use by the 
Indians of the fresh roots to cure the wounds caused by poisoned arrows. 

Any kind of starch to be digestible should boil 10 to 20 minutes. It is not enough to cook 
ituntil it swells, but it must be cooked until the starch granules burst their sheaths. 
Starch preparations are often cooked too little. 

Gruel. — Corn-starch, Rice, Wheat Flour or Arrowroot. — Wet 2 teaspoons of 
the flour in cold water or milk, stir into 1 cup of boiling water, add 1 saltspoon 
of salt, boil 10 to 15 minutes; thin it with ^ cup of milk. 

Barley Gruel. — Wash x / 2 cup of pearl barley and boil it in 1 pint of water for 
20 minutes; pour off this water and add 1 quart of fresh boiling water; let it boil 
until reduced %; strain, and add the rind of a lemon and sweeten to taste. 

Codfish Gruel. — Freshen a tablespoon of shredded codfish to taste; add to it 
1 teaspoon sifted flour, and 1 cup of boiling water — allowing it to simmer long 
enough to thoroughly cook the flour; add a very little butter, and eat with 
toasted cracker. 

Cornmeal or Oatmeal Gruel. — Mix % cup of the meal with a little cold water; 
then add a pint of boiling water, a teaspoon of salt, and boil 25 or 30 minutes. 
Sweeten to taste, and add a little nutmeg. This makes a nice light nourishment 
for the sick or convalescent. 

Cracker Gruel. — To 4 tablespoons of powdered cracker, wet with boiling water, 
add 2 cups of hot milk. 

Egg Gruel. — Beat well 1 egg, white and yolk separately; pour 1 cup of boiling 
water or milk to the yolk, add 1 teaspoon of sugar; mix well, and stir in the white. 

Onion Gruel. — Slice and cut finely 2 or 3 small onions; stew them in a quart of 
water until they are soft; then add a teaspoon of good extract of beef. This 
is excellent for a cold. Or- the onions may be stewed in milk instead of water, 
and a sprinkle of oatmeal and a pinch of pepper stirred in, instead of the meat 
extract if preferred. Take it just before getting into bed. 

Milk Porridge. — Boil 24 raisins cut in quarters,in water enough to cover them, 
20 minutes; when plump, and the water has evaporated, add 2 cups of milk, and 
when boiling add 1 teaspoon of flour rubbed to a paste; let it boil up, then with a 
little cold milk add the white of an egg well beaten. 

Oatmeal Jelly or Stiff Porridge. — Keep a pint of water boiling, and while it is 
still on the fire, stir in small quantities of oatmeal very fast, sprinkling it in, 
until it is rather thick; then boil it slowly % hour. Turn it out into a soup plate, 
and eat it with milk, or syrup, or butter and salt. 

Elm Jelly. — To 1 quart of water add 4 tablespoons chipped slippery elm, and 
let it stand over night. In the morning strain off the water, add 1 or 2 slices of 
lemon (without seeds), sweeten, and let it boil for 10 minutes. Remove the lemon, 
and pour it into a mold to cool and harden. 

Rice Jelly. — Make a thin paste of 2 oz. of rice flour and 3 oz. of loaf sugar; 
boil them in a quart of water till transparent. Flavor with rose, orange, or cin- 
namon water. It can be made also by boiling whole rice long and slowly. A 
pinch of salt improves it. 

Tapioca Jelly. — Choose the largest sort, pour on cold water to wash it 2 or 3 
times, then soak it in fresh water 5 or 6 hours, and simmer it in the same until it 
becomes clear, adding the peel of 1 lemon; then add sugar, and lemon juice. It 
thickens very much. Wine is also sometimes added for invalids. 

Restorative Jelly. — Use 1 box of gelatine, 1 tablespoon of powdered gum arabic, 



368 INVALID COOKERY. 

3^ pint of port wine, juice of 3^ a lemon, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 3 whole 
cloves; put all in a covered glass jar, set on a plate in a kettle of cold water, let it 
soak % hour, put it on the tire, and heat slowly; when all is dissolved, stir well, 
and strain into a shallow dish, and cut in squares. 

Wiiie Jelly. — Use % CU P °f gelatine; soak soft in % cup of cold water; then 
pour in 1 pint of boiling water, juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of sherry 
wine; stir and strain through a cloth into a mold. 

Milk or Cream Toast. — Toast a slice of bread uniformly brown. Break the 
crust by rolling, and add sufficient hot milk or cream to thoroughly soak it. 
Sweeten with powdered sugar. 

Sippets. — When the stomach cannot bear meat, toast some slices of bread, lay 
them on a hot plate, and pour hot meat gravy over them; add salt to taste. 

Boiled or Baked Flour. — Tie some flour in a cloth as if it were a pudding, put 
it in boiling water and boil for 3 hours; then scrape down the inner part of the 
ball, and use a tablespoon in a pint of milk to make a gruel. Or put the flour on 
a tin in the oven and bake it till it is a light brown; then use as before. Both 
these preparations are more digestible than uncooked flour. 

Cracker Panada.— Pour over 3 or 4 crackers in a sauce-pan enough water to 
barely cover them. Boil 2 or 3 minutes. Pour off the surplus water, and add 
enough hot milk or cream to soak them. Sweeten with powdered sugar. 

Iceland Moss. — Wash 1 oz. in boiling water; then boil slowly in a pint of water 
until quite soft. Strain through cloth, and sweeten. When done it will make a 
very palatable dish. 

Iceland Moss.— This is really a lichen not a moss. It grows in northern latitudes. 
Its hitter taste is due to an acid it contains, hut by soaking it in a weak solution of car- 
bonate of soda that can he removed. It contains about 10 per cent of water; 9 of albume- 
noids; 70 of lichen starch; 6 of lichen acids; 3!4 of cellulose, andlV£ of mineral matter. 

Irish Moss is a seaweed, collected mostly on the coasts of Ireland. Its chief constituent 
is a kind of mucilage which dissolves to a stiff paste in hoiling water; it also contains a 
little iodine and much sulphur. Its constituents are, water 19% ; alhumenoids9; mucilage, 
etc., 56 ; mineral matter 14. It should he soaked in cold water for an hour or so hef ore being 
boiled in water or milk. It will often relieve a severe cough, and is frequently given in 
cases of rheumatism and gout. 

Arrowroot Blanc Mange. — Mix arrowroot in the usual way, but use 3 times 
more than you would for gruel; add milk and flavoring; sweeten to taste and sim- 
mer till thick enough for a mold. 

Rice Blanc Mange. — Boil as much ground rice in a pint of milk as will make 
it thick enough to turn out of a mold, sweetening and flavoring to taste. A sauce 
can be added of milk, cream, or any invalid custard. 

Sago Blanc Mange is made the same way, first washing the sago in several 
waters. 

Tapioca Blanc Mange is made the same way, washing the tapioca, and using 
less of it. 

Taganrok Blanc Mange. — Put 2 cups milk in a double boiler, bring it to a boil, 
and sprinkle in 2 tablespoons taganrok farina, stirring all the time; add % tea- 
spoon salt, and cook 30 minutes, stirring often; then turn into a mold which has 
been wet with cold water; let cool, and serve ice cold with cream and sugar. 
(Taganrok is Russian wheat farina. It can be bought in small packages at the 
stores.) 

A Delicate Dish for Invalids. — Heat 1 pint of rich milk to boiling, stir in 3 
tablespoons of ceraline; beat up the white of an egg and put in while hot; add a 
little salt, and a teaspoon of sugar, or leave out the sugar if preferred without; 
add a little pepper. 



FOREIGN COOKERY- 

A brief glance at the cookery of other nations may be of interest to our readers. 
Those who are fond of trying experiments may be glad to try some of the foreign 
dishes. Owing to our limited space we can give only a few recipes— not as many 
as we are tempted to do, but a good many foreign recipes of various kinds will be 
found scattered through our pages, in addition to those which we give here. 

English Cookery.— English cookery resembles the American more than that of 
any other nation. The cooking of meat is much the same in the two countries, but 
in America meat is so plentiful that much more is wasted, in fact, probably no 
other nation wastes as much food of any kind as the American. It is a national 
characteristic which often impresses foreigners. The varieties of fish, fruit and 
vegetables eaten in the two countries vary slightly, although in the main they are 
similar, and so is the method of cooking them. It is unnecessary to give recipes 
here, as so many English recipes are given in the body of our work, and the 
cookery of the two countries is so similar that they would present little novelty, or 
contrast to our readers. It will be better to devote our limited space to other 
countries. 

FRENCH COOKERY. 

The French are justly proud of their cookery which ranks very high, perhaps 
higher than that of any other nation. Garlic is very generally used in flavoring 
French dishes, so much being often used as to render them quite unpalatable to 
the unaccustomed taste, but in delicate cooking its presence is hardly noticed. 
Much importance is attached to a good dish of fish. In a country like France 
where the church prescribes as a panacea a maigre fare twice a week (though it 
is generally observed only on Fridays) this attention to the preparation of fish is 
quite natural. 

In cooking meats the French disguise or cover the taste in various ways, 
while the English and American system retains the original flavor more generally. 
The French say that their Anglican cousins eat their meat raw, while, on the 
other hand, we think they lose much of the rich flavor of the meat by so uniformly 
disguising it. Possibly, however, the conditions of the different countries regu- 
late these matters largely, for while with the best meat much is gained by retain- 
ing its flavor, with inferior qualities more is gained by masking it, and probably 
the quality of the meat is generally better in England and America than in 
France. The very general custom of making soups and stews, draws out of 
the meat its salts and extractives, and leaves the fibrin and other ingredients 
insipid and unpalatable. These remnants of meat, however, contain elements of 
food essential to the system, and by the use of sauces and flavorings they are 
made very palatable and attractive by the French. 

Much bread is baked in country houses, and large flat, plain cakes, called 
galettes, composed principally of flour and water, (the butter being conspicuous 
by its absence) are universal. The smaller cakes are delightful. Vanilla is the 
most popular flavoring. Delicate little puffs made in soft, flaky rolls, are filled 
with preserves of various kinds, but the vanilla flavor is traceable in most of 
them. 

There is a sort of national jam, called raisinet. It is very common with the 
middle classes, and is used for cakes, and for eating with bread and butter. Its 
foundation is the new wine as it comes from the press, and into this are thrown 
turnips, carrots, plums, apples, pears or any other fruit that may be in season, 
and it is kept stirring for 24 hours. No sugar is added, but the process of long 
boiling is sufficient to make it keep for a whole year. Fruit syrups are a great 
feature in France. Raspberries, strawberries, currants, apples, apricots and 
every sort of fruit is utilized. These syrups are used for sauces, as well as mixed 
with water for drinks, and grateful indeed are these cooling beverages in the 
sultry days of a French summer. 

24 (393) 



394 FOREIGN COOKERY. 

But the French especially excel in their entrees or made dishes, and there is 
something both artistic and scientific in the refinement of taste which they dis- 
play in their various combinations of mushrooms, truffles, and other garnitures 
and seasonings. A great delicacy made by these people is the airy vol-au-vent. 
Everything is converted into a vol-au-vent. Meat of all descriptions cut up 
small in a delicate sauce; in like manner fricasseed fowl, fish stewed in wine, and 
game dressed in savory fashion find a place in this flaky receptacle. As a sweet, 
also, it is much favored, fruit and preserves often making their appearance when 
the top is removed. The pates of France may be regarded as the equivalent of 
the German wurst, and there is a great variety in their seasoning and in the 
different kinds of meat employed in their fabrication. In bon-bons, however, no 
people can equal the French in the variety and excellence of their production, 
and probably no other people are so fond of sweetmeats. Children, especially, 
are surfeited with them, so that it is probably detrimental to their health. Other 
nations do well not to imitate them in this regard. 

The economy of French cooks is very noticeable. Everything in the way of 
food is utilized. Among the poorer French people, no matter to what class they 
belong, there is far less meat consumed than among the same classes here, yet 
the fare is more dainty, appetizing and varied than ours. In their hands veget- 
ables are not merely accessories, but are made the most attractive of foods. The 
very poor, however, live on the simplest fare. It is no uncommon thing to see a 
laboring man or woman, (for women too labor in the fields) making his or her 
meal on a piece of dry bread and garlic. 

We have space to give but few French dishes in this place, but very many 
most desirable French recipes are given in the body of our work. Their bouillon, 
bouillabaise, julienne and other soups; their bechamel, matelote, maitre d' hotel 
and other sauces; their beef a la mode and various other dishes will be found in 
their appropriate places in our work. Every year sees a more general use of good 
French recipes by our own people. 

Coiii't Bouillon to Boil Fish in. —Take 1% quarts of water and put into it 3 
tablespoons of salt and 1 of pepper seeds; 3ij pint cider vinegar; 2 cloves, 2 onions, 
2 bay leaves, 1 carrot. Let it come to a boil and then put in the fish. 

Macetloin of Vegetables. — In the spring select good fresh vegetables whieh 
match well, like asparagus, turnips, carrots, string beans, etc. Cut the asparagus 
into 1)4. inch pieces, the beans into lozenges, and the others into fancy shapes, 
and cook each kind separately in salted water till tender; then drain them. Put 
butter into a stewing-pan, and as soon as it melts put in the vegetables and stir 
them a little over a moderate fire. Use just butter enough to envelope the 
vegetables, but no more. When well warmed, add enough bechamel sauce to 
moisten them. Then arrange them on a hot dish in the form of a pyramid and 
serve. * 

Fillets de Tent. — Take the white of 1 egg and 6 oz. of white sugar; flavor with 
vanilla and stir together till about as thick as icing. Put little bunches on paper 
and bake in a slow oven. 

Mirotin of Yeal. — Take remnants of veal and chop fine, adding some fat bacon 
if you have it. Take % as much bread crumbs as meat, and put it in milk; when 
well soaked, take out, squeeze dry in a clean cloth, and add it to the meat. Add 
also 1 egg beaten light, salt, pepper and a slice of onion and a little parsley 
minced together. Put all together in a sauce-pan, mix thoroughly, and merely 
warm without cooking. Now take a deep dish, butter it well, put in the mixture, 
and bake in a quick oven. Turn it out whole, and serve with caper sauce. 

Ramequins. — In a gratin dish, put 1 tablespoon of melted butter; now put in 
a layer of thin slices of bread, and cover it with cheese in thin slices. Next take 
1 cup milk, stir in 3 eggs, and pour over all. Put in the oven and bake till the 
top is light brown, which should be in 15 minutes. Delicious, 



FOREIGN COOKERY. 395 

GERMAN COOKERY. 

The Germans possess good appetites and are highly critical in the matter of 
cooking. Perhaps the greatest difference between the German cooking and our 
own consists in their greater use of seasoning, principally fresh and dried herbs 
of all kinds. Many dishes which we look upon as ready for the table they would 
regard as only half prepared. Certainly the Germans take a great deal of pains 
in the preparation ot all kinds of meat. Joints to be roasted, after having been 
wiped and deprived of all superfluous fat, gristle, or any unsightly scraps, are 
thoroughly rubbed with a mixture of herbs, selected according to the different 
nature of the meat to be dressed. Then onion, allspice, pepper and salt, and occa- 
sionally cloves, are placed in the pan and the joint is basted frequently with the 
gravy thus flavored, all of which adds a refined and delicate flavor to its taste. 

Their manner of cooking vegetables is more artistic than our own. A delicate 
savoy cabbage with which we would be satisfied when thoroughly boiled in salt 
and water, would not seem so perfect were we to taste a similar cabbage after a 
German handling, with the addition of shalot delicately fried in clarified butter, 
pepper, parsley, and just a touch of flour. German cooks are scrupulously atten- 
tive to washing their vegetables, and consume large quantities of water in the 
process. 

The excellence of German bakers is well known, for they are to be found scat- 
tered all over our own country, and most of us are familiar with the varieties of 
brown and white bread which they make, as well as rolls of every description. 
The German families buy their bread very largely at the baker's instead of mak- 
ing it at home. The cakes, however, every family makes, or can make themselves; 
plain or rich cakes, bread tarts, and foam tarts (the foam being a combination of 
eggs and sifted sugar) as well as open tarts, not made with preserves as ours are, 
but of the lightest dough rolled out and cut into long or round shapes and thickly 
overlaid with fresh fruit, sprinkled with sugar and currants, the juice permeat- 
ing the crust and none of it being lost, thus giving a rich flavor to the tart. 
Stewed fruit is frequently used at German tables as a substitute for a second 
vegetable. With roast pork, for example, a large basin of stewed plums generally 
makes its appearance, instead of the side-dish of apple sauce to which we treat it. 
Apple compote is served in the same way with roast veal or fowl. Ducks, geese 
and turkeys are usually stuffed with chestnuts and spices. 

The knowledge of cookery runs through all classes, and is an essential part of 
a girl's education. The great majority of families belonging to the middle classes 
in Germany live in flats, even those who maybe termed wealthy. The daughters, 
even in the highest class, take their turn, week about, in superintending the 
management of the house, thus learning housekeeping and cooking from earliest 
youth. 

Bretzeln. — Mix 1 large tablespoon yeast into ^ pint warm milk; stir it into 
1% lbs. of flour, and beat it well. In another pan beat % lb. butter to cream; add 
to this 2 oz. sifted sugar, 3 eggs, another tablespoon of yeast, and a little salt. 
Put the dough into this, and beat all together thoroughly till quite smooth; cut 
off pieces the size of an egg, roll them into round bars 6 to 8 inches long, and 
tapering off at the ends. Lay them on buttered tins, curving them in half circles 
or new moon shapes; leaving space between each. Put them by gentle warmth 
to rise; when light, brush them over with egg, dust sugar over, and bake them a 
pale brown. 

Chickens (Ordinary German Way). — Stuff 2 chickens with a stuffing made of 
French rolls; a little butter, 1 egg, 1 onion finely shredded; parsley, thyme and 
grated lemon peel. Next lard and bread crumb them, placing a piece of fat over 
the breast that they may not become too brown. Place the chickens in a stew- 
pan with 1 oz. butter; leave uncovered for a short time, then cover and bake for 
1% hours. Half an hour before serving add 1 small cup of cream, and baste 
thoroughly over a hotter fire. 

Dicke Milch. — This is new milk put into a pie dish or other shallow vessel and 



396 FOREIGN COOKERY. 

allowed to stand 2 or 3 days, according to the weather, until it is sour and thick, 
but not quite so thick as blanc mange. Only experience can guide one as to the 
exact stage at which it is ready to use. If left too long a watery fluid rises to the 
top. It is eaten with bread crumbs and sugar. 

Frothed Milk Soup. — Pound 6 bitter almonds, and boil them in 2 quarts milk, 
or instead of the almonds use 3^ a stick of vanilla; add sugar to taste and a little 
salt. Beat separately 4 eggs; the whites must be beaten to a stiff froth, then 
mixed with the yolks. Let the milk just cease boiling, and whisk in the eggs till 
it froths well, but not over the fire or the eggs will curdle. Serve with small 
sponge biscuit. 

Grrutze. — Boil 2 lbs. red currants and ~% lb. raspberries, in 1)4 pints water; 
when quite soft pass through a sieve. Make this juice boil, and add % lb. sago 
well soaked in water; let it boil 34 hour, stirring it all the time. Wet a mold 
with cold water, pour in, and when cold turn it out. To be eaten with milk, 
cream or custard. Any other fruit or preserve will do as well. 

Criilasch.- — Cut a tender piece of steak into quite small pieces, lay them in a 
deep frying pan, with a little bacon, some slices of onion, and a little pepper and 
salt; fry them in butter till the gravy looks brown; then add a little lemon juice 
and a small quantity of water. Cover the pan, and let the contents simmer till 
the meat is quite done. 

Knodeln. — Mash 3 or 4 large potatoes smoothly with 1 large tablespoon of 
flour, and mix with 1 well-beaten egg; make into balls the size of a walnut, and 
boil. These are served with meat in the place of other vegetables. They can 
also be baked. 

Koche {Molds).— We have no suitable term for this sort of a dish in English. 
Sponge pudding is the nearest, but this does not do it justice; nor is custard 
right. We must therefore call it mold. 

Chocolate Mold. — Whip 2 oz. of butter with 2 oz. of sugar, the yolks of 3 eggs, 
and 3 oz. of grated chocolate; mix in the 3 whites whisked to a stiff snow; bake 
in a buttered mold. 

Potato Mold. — Whisk 3 eggs with 2 oz. of sugar and a little grated lemon peel; 
then stir in a pint of cream and enough grated cold potatoes to form a very thick 
batter, which must be so stiff that it will not drop from the spoon. Bake in a 
well-buttered mold. 

Egg Mold. — Use 4 oz. of butter, 4 oz. of sugar, the yolks of 8 eggs, the grated 
peel and juice of % lemon, and a tablespoon of flour; whip them to a foam; then 
stir in the whites of 4 eggs in a stiff snow. Bake it in a buttered form or dish. 

Neuii-loth Pudding. —This favorite pudding is made as follows: Stir )£ pint 
of milk into &% oz. fine flour and i% oz. powdered loaf sugar. Put ^% oz - butter 
and % P m t or niilk into a stewpan, and when this is hot and the butter is melted, 
stir in the other milk and flour; keep the mixture stirred over the fire till it boils 
and thickens; then turn it out into a pan to cool. Stir in the yolks of 9 eggs and 
4)^ oz. almonds blanched and pounded, and lastly the 9 egg whites, beaten to a 
stiff snow. Stir all briskly together, butter a mold or basin, fill it, and boil the 
pudding 1% hours. The water must not cease boiling. Serve with a good sauce. 

Nudels. — Beat 2 eggs, work into them by degrees as much flour as they will 
take, and knead them into a smooth stiff paste. Cut into 4 or 6 parts, make into 
balls, and roll out as thin as paper, and spread it on a napkin in the sun or near 
the fire to dry; it dries quickly. Then cut into quarters, lay the pieces on top of 
each other, and cut into strips as narrow as twine. Dry them well and they will 



FOREIGN COOKERY. 39? 

keep some time. They can be made white by using only the whites of the eggs 
and flour. Keep the board well floured while rolling them. They are used much 
like the Italian maccaroni. A common way is to drop them into boiling water 
well salted; they will cook in about 5 minutes; pour browned butter on them 
when they are served, and add a little grated cheese if desired. 

Sauerbraten. — This is one of the great national dishes. Lay a piece of beef in 
a deep dish and pour a cup of vinegar over it. Leave it in this 2 to 4 days, turn- 
ing and basting it every day. To prepare for cooking wipe it dry; cut strips of 
fat bacon the size of a little finger; roll them in a mixed seasoning of salt, pepper 
and ground cloves. Make holes in the meat, and with a large skewer put in the 
pieces of bacon. Make butter hot in an iron pot or stewpan, just large enough 
to hold it; put in the beef and set it over a brisk fire, letting the steam escape to 
hasten the browning; dredge it with flour, and turn it when one side is brown. 
When the meat is nicely colored add about 1 pint of water; 2 carrots quartered 
lengthwise; 1 or 2 large onions sliced; 2 or 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon of whole 
pepper; a blade of mace; J4 of a lemon peel; and a good sprinkling of salt. Cover 
closely, and let it steam 2 or 3 hours, adding a little water when necessary. At 
serving time take up the meat and keep it hot while you skim off the fat and 
strain the gravy. The unbroken carrots may be laid around the meat. Add 
lemon juice or vinegar if the sauce requires more acid; thicken it with flour, give 
it a boil up, pour a little over the meat, and serve the rest in a sauceboat. 

Sticklerspersgrod. — For this simple and cheap dish, well flavored, ripe red 
gooseberries are used. Take 4 lbs. gooseberries with % lb. raspberries, keep 
them stirred gently in a stewpan over a clear fire till the fruit is quite soft, 
then mash and strain the juice through a cloth. Make this juice quite boil; 
then add ~% lb- sugar and 6 oz-. corn flour or arrowroot; let it boil 10 minutes, stir- 
ring all the time. Wet a mold with cold water, pour it in, and when cold turn it 
out. The best proportion is 1 pint juice to 34 lb. corn flour. To be eaten in soup 
plates with sifted sugar and milk. 

Sauerkraut is given in our article on "Vegetables." 



ITALIAN COOKERY- 

Italian cooking has a general resemblance to the French. In fact there is 
more or less resemblance in the cooking of all the Latin races. Their soups are 
endless in variety, and are sometimes prepared with vegetables and sometimes 
without. A dish which may almost be called national, so general is its use, is 
the Minestrone, or large, thick soup. It consists of vegetable's stewed together 
for many hours, thickened with rice and a strip of bacon added. Macaroni is 
absent, but Parmesan cheese is plentifully added. Joints of meat are cut smaller 
than with us, but they are quite commonly garnished with olives, and so are their 
ragouts and stews. The Italians have a most delicate way of preparing cutlets, 
and veal cutlets are in especial favor. Sausage making is carried to a high degree 
of excellence, and there are some varieties (like the Bologna) which are well 
known abroad. 

Italian bread is light and pleasant to the taste, and many kinds of rolls and 
cakes are artistically shaped. Ricotta, as well as macaroni, and Risotto, a rice 
pudding, may be called a national dish, as it makes its appearance almost daily 
on Italian tables. Although possessing fruit in abundance their syrups are 
inferior to those of France, and hence, doubtless, are little used, but the use of 
lemonade as a beverage is universal. In the manufacture of ices they certainly 
excel, and in the variety and excellence of their bon-bons they nearly equal the 
French. A great deal of fruit is consumed, and no country is richer in its produc- 
tions of this kind. Oil is very generally used in their cooking now, as in olden 



398 FOREIGN COOKERY. 

times, taking the place of butter used in English and American cooking, and of 
course this affects the flavor of many dishes. 

Bracciolette. — Take a fillet of beef, remove all fat and gristle, and mince it 
finely, mixing with it salt, 1 or 2 cloves (powdered), and a little oil and chopped 
fat bacon, sweet herbs and parsley to taste. When well amalgamated roll it out, 
and divide into small pieces; form each into a ball, roll them in liquified butter, 
and then in fine bread crumbs. Just before they are wanted, broil them on a 
good fire, first on one side, then on the other, if done too long they will be 
spoiled. 

Croccante. — Take ~% lb. finely chopped (and blanched) sweet almonds; 3^ lb. 
loaf sugar; 1 tablespoon essence of lemon, a piece of butter the size of a walnut; 
boil in a sauce-pan till it browns (15 to 20 minutes); turn into a flat, buttered pan 
and cut when cold into small pieces, eating cold. 

(Jniocchi of Semolina. — Take 1 lb. good semolina and 1 pint milk. Put the 
milk, with an equal quantity of water, on the fire, and before it reaches the boil- 
ing point sprinkle in the semolina; then let it boil, stirring all the time. When 
sufficiently cooked turn it out on the pasteboard, which should be previously 
sprinkled with cold water. When cold, cut the paste into pieces the size of a 
walnut. Put them on a dish, season them well with grated Parmesan cheese, 
sugar and cinnamon, and add butter. Put them in the Dutch oven and bake 1 
hour before serving. 

Minestra. — Cut up 3 or 4 potatoes, add a proportionate quantity of beans (dried 
ones are best), onions, carrots, and celery sliced, and if in season sliced vegetable 
marrow and pumpkin rind. Boil all these in 34 sauce-pan of water till the pota- 
toes are quite soft, adding salt. Then add }£ lb. rice or maccaroni; boil a little 
longer, as the rice ought not to be soft, and before taking off the fire add 1 oz. 
butter (a spoonful of olive oil is orthodox), and as much Parmesan cheese; stir a 
few moments and serve. Grated cheese may with advantage be added after- 
wards. 

Ricotta. — Strain 1 gallon of fresh whey into a flat copper pan, put it on a gen- 
tle fire, and as soon as a kind of froth begins to rise on it add 1 quart of milk, and 
stir the mixture lightly with a stick until a thick froth rises all over the surface; 
gather this froth with a spoon, and put it to drain in a very fine tin colander, and 
the ricotta is made. Carefully avoid letting the milk and whey come to a boil at 
any time during the process. 

Risotto.— Take 34 lb. rice, and boil it with sufficient salt in a little more water 
than will cover it, till the rice begins to swell; it must not get too soft. Then add 
a pinch of saffron, just to color it, or, if possible, 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce; 
also about 1 oz. butter, and as much grated Parmesan cheese; stir for a few min- 
utes, and serve. This is for 4 people. 

Polenta with Gravy. — Into \% gallons of water put 1 teaspoon salt, and when 
it boils stir in gradually, stirring all the time, 1 tablespoon butter and 2 cups 
semoule or coarse cornmeal; boil 20 minutes. Then put a layer of the polenta in 
a dish, cover with tomato sauce and good gravy (having a cup of each hot and 
ready) and sprinkle with grated cheese. Put it into the dish in alternate layers 
in this way, and serve hot. 

SPANISH COOKERY. 

In Spain the inhabitants subsist mainly on maize and rice, with some wheat 
and legumes, among them the garbanzo or "chick pea." There is little butter 



"FOREIGN COOKERY. 399 

used, the universal substitute being olive oil, which is produced in great quanti- 
ties. Fowls and the pig furnish the chief animal food, and garlic is the favorite 
condiment. Fruit is rine and abundant; especially so are grapes, figs and 
melons. Several Spanish recipes appear elsewhere in our work. 

011a Podrida. — First and foremost among soups comes the far-famed olla pod- 
rida, which is so supremely dear to the national heart. It is made as follows: 
Spread a little butter over the bottom of a 4-quart sized kettle or stewpan; upon 
this lay 4 onions cut in slices, and then 4 lbs. of gravy-beef cut in thick slices, and 
% lb. raw ham or lean bacon, an old partridge or pheasant; add 2 carrots, celery 
and parsley roots, a bay leaf, thyme, and a clove of garlic tied up tightly, 6 cloves, 
and a bit of mace; moisten with a quart of water or stock, and boil down to a 
glaze, or until it begins to fry; fill up then with water or stock and simmer gen- 
tly 2 hours; strain into the soup-pot containing carrots, turnips, celery and leeks, 
all cut tine. Then add a pint of garbanzos (Spanish peas), previously soaked 
and boiled, and a dessertspoon of Spanish sweet red peppers chopped fine; boil 
gently until the vegetables are done. Have the meat cut in small pieces in the 
tureen, pour the hot soup over it, and serve with bread. This of itself forms an 
excellent dinner. 

Ajo Blanco. —This soup is extensively used in Andalusia. Pound 1 clove of 
garlic and 7 well-dried beans (or, better still, almonds), in a small spice mortar to 
a smooth paste. Moisten this paste with olive oil, drop by drop, then add water by 
degrees so as to thoroughly incorporate and amalgamate the whole; add until it 
is sufficiently wet to soak some bread, which must be added later on, pouring in 
some vinegar and a little salt. Then put in the bread crumbs, size of half an 
almond, and allow it to soak. A final mixing of the bowl, and this quaint and 
perfectly national dish awaits consumption. 

Bacalao. — In this land of rigid Catholicism, bacalao or salted cod, is almost 
indispensable on the many fast days in the calendar. . Cut up the cod after it has 
been soaked 24 hours, and lay the pieces so as to cover the bottom of a small 
earthen jar; pour on this a thick stratum of grated bread, with garlic and parsley 
in profusion; then more codfish, then bread again, and so on till the jar is full to 
the top. Fill all the crevices with raw oil, garlic, pepper and salt. Close the jar 
and boil till the contents are nearly dry; then serve. Codfish with honey or sugar 
may be eaten by boiling the pieces, draining them dry, then soaking in honey, 
flouring, and then frying; or the pieces may be covered with yolk of egg, floured, 
and covered over with sugar; then fry. 

Carbonada. — Cut cold roast mutton or beef into pieces about 1 inch square, 
and also about equal amounts of squash and cold potatoes; take also 2 or 3 ears 
of corn and a few string beans; put 1 tablespoon of lard into a pot, 1 onion 
chopped fine, then the squash, then 2 ripe tomatoes skinned and squeezed, and 1 
red pepper with the seeds removed, then the other vegetables; cover with boiling 
water and stew 30 minutes; put in the meat and stew 30 minutes more; salt to 
taste. Ten minutes before serving put in the corn cut in small pieces. 

Frijoles.- — Cook pink beans until soft, in boiling water; drain, and mix in 
finely chopped onions, and a little of the water in which the beans were cooked; 
add salt and fry a light brown in smoking hot fat. 

Otamo. — Slice equal amounts of onions and green tomatoes, and add a little 
bell peppers. Put fresh drippings and a little hot water into a hot skillet, add 
the vegetables and cook 1 hour, keeping closely covered, but stirring often. 
Serve hot. 



400 FOREIGN COOKERY. 

Red Pepper Sauce. — Carefully remove the seeds from 2 sweet red peppers, and 
boil until tender; then drain, add 1 clove of garlic, and rub to a paste, adding a 
little water if necessary; then heat % cup sweet oil, stir in the paste, season with 
vinegar and salt, after removing from the fire, and serve. 



JEWISH COOKERY. 

Jewish cookery is becoming much like that of their Christian neighbors, as, 
except among the more denominationally strict, the old restrictions are melting 
away, and they often employ Christian servants. From having been forbidden 
to use butter with meat, oil enters more largely into their cookery of both meat 
and vegetables. Their fish fried in oil, and so cooked that it can be eaten cold or 
hot, enjoys a deservedly high reputation. As the Mosaic law forbids the use of 
any flesh as food which is not free from, "spot or blemish,'' the meat supplied by 
the Jewish butchers is of the best quality. 

Amnastich. — Stew gently 1 pint of rice in 1 quart of strong gravy till it begins 
to swell; then add an onion stuck with cloves, a bunch of sweet herbs, a chicken 
stuffed with forcemeat; let it stew with the rice till thoroughly done, then take 
it up and stir into the rice the yolks of 4 eggs and the juice of a lemon; serve 
the fowl in the same dish with the rice, which should be colored to a fine yellow 
with saffron. 

Matso Cakes. — Make a stiff paste with biscuit powder and milk and water; 
add a little butter, the yolk of an egg, and a little white sugar; cut into pieces, 
and mold with the hand, and bake in a brisk oven. These cakes should not be 
too thin. 

Passover Pudding. — Mix equal quantities of biscuit powder and shredded suet, 
half as much currants and raisins, a little spice and sugar, with 1 oz. candied 
peels, and 5 well-beaten eggs; make them into a stiff batter, and boil well, and 
serve with a sweet sauce. This pudding is excellent baked in a pudding tin. It 
must be turned out when served. 



TURKISH COOKERY. 

Cerkestal. — Remains of fowls may be stewed with an onion, pepper, salt, and 
a little water. Wash and bruise 6 walnuts, and mix them in some of the gravy, 
adding a small quantity of cayenne pepper, and serve this as a sauce. 

Dolmas. — Chop some mutton or beef very finely, with a little of the fat; add 
an onion, pepper, salt, and a little boiled rice, and mix it all together. Then take 
some cabbage leaves and put them into boiling water for 1 or 2 minutes, and then 
roll the meat into them like small sausages; then stew them in a little broth or 
water, with a small piece of butter in it. 

Pilau.— Well wash 6 oz. of East Indian rice, and boil it in a pint of water for 
5 minutes at the most; then throw it 'into a colander that it may thoroughly 
drain. Next place it in a stewpan with 1 oz. butter, salt and pepper to taste, 
stirring well, and add by degrees about % P m t °f good fowl broth. After 15 or 
20 minutes it should be perfectly done and turn out with the grains separate. It 
is to be served perfectly hot. The foregoing is a true pilau, but additions may 
be made of portions of the meat of the fowl; of thin slices of bacon, curry powder, 
chutney, fried onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc., but in none of these forms 
would it be regarded as the true Oriental dish. 



FOREIGN COOKERS. 401 

RUSSIAN COOKERY- 

The Russian people during the great fasts (which last 4 to 7 weeks, and which 
recur 4 times during the year) sustain themselves mainly on soup made with the 
bitter cabbages, and a handful of dry salted fish called sniedky. It is clean 
tasted, but one must be a lover of this fish to relish it. Like many other northern 
nations the Russians are fond of a subacid flavor in their food. Many of their 
soups are thus flavored, and where they are not, a very common thing is for a 
dish of sour cream to be at hand with which the consumer gives his food the degree 
of acidity which suits his palate, a spoonful or two being enough to convert an 
excellent dish of soup into what many would consider a sour and unpalatable 
mess. The most characteristic national food in Russia, and the daily food of 
the mass of the people, is shchi. It is made as follows: 

Shchi. — At the beginning of winter chop cabbage into shreds and put it into 
a barrel with vinegar and salt. It becomes a kind of sauerkraut when a certain 
amount of fermentation has taken place. It must be watched, because if the 
fermentation goes too far it acquires a high and disagreeable flavor. A portion 
of this is taken (almost daily) and boiled with meat to a kind of broth, which is 
the shchi. By adding different flavors it can be varied indefinitely, and if well 
made it is excellent. Some of the meat from which it is made is usually served 
with the broth. 

Nalym. — Chop an onion, fry it in 2 spoonfuls fresh butter melted; add 1 spoon- 
ful flour; mix, pour in a little water and set it to simmer. When it begins to 
boil put in 5 or 6 potatoes, cut into pieces, and add salt. Take fish, clean, salt, cut 
in convenient pieces, add to the former, and let all simmer together; add some 
barley grits, a little parsley and black pepper. Russians call this nalym, but it 
is translated lavaret, a name familiar to travelers as that of a kind of trout which 
inhabits the lakes of Switzerland. Russia is especially rich in fresh water fish, 
but sea fish is little used. Shchi is sometimes made with sea fish. 



THE ADULTERATION OF FOOD. 

Every one knows that it is of the utmost importance to the health and well 
being of a family that the food which it consumes shall be pure The adulter 
ation of food has received much attention in recent years, and scientific chemists 
catj now readily detect the various adulterations used in foods. The average 
housewife cannot, of course, be expected toqualify herself to perform the delicate 
tests for detecting adulterations which are employed by the scientific analyst, 
but it is well for her to understand what the principal adulterations are, and 
there are a few tests which she can easily perform, and which it will often be an 
advantage for her to know. The following article explains what foods are most 
often adulterated, what they are adulterated with, and gives such tests as are 
adapted for those not possessing the delicate apparatus or special knowledge of 
the scientific chemist. 

There are 3 principal ways of adulterating foods. (1) By replacing a superior 
article or ingredient by an inferior or cheaper substitute. (2) By adding foreign 
matters capable of giving an appearance of superiority. (3) By adding water to 
increase the weight, this being often accompanied by incorporating foreign 
materials which absord much water, though perhaps otherwise harmless. So 
extensively are these various forms of adulterations practiced that the United 
States Department of Agriculture in its official report estimates that 15$ of the 
whole food supply of the country is adulterated, which shows the importance of 
the subject to the mass of the people. 

Bread. — Bread and flour are not often adulterated in the United States, but 
their adulteration is more common in Europe. The principal adulterations are 
the use of inferior grains or mashed potatoes, which lessens its nutritive value, 
and alum which improves the appearance of bread made from inferior flour and 
enables it to hold much more water. The logwood test is used to detect alum, 
which consists in soaking crumbs of bread for 6 or 7 minutes in an alcoholic solu- 
tion of logwood containing an excess of carbonate of ammonia, and then squeez- 
ing it; a more or less deep blue color is produced if alum is present. 

Tea. — The 4 principal adulterations consist in: (1) Mixing in spent or exhausted 
leaves which have been redried, gummed, curled, and faced with coloring matter. 
A most expensive system of this adulteration is practiced in China. (2) Tea is some- 
times mixed with the leaves of other trees, like those of the sloe tree, ash tree, 
elder, beach and willow. (3) Astringents and foreign substances are added 
designed to increase the apparent strength and quality. (4) Pacing is practiced, 
which consists in using various coloring matters designed to impart some favorite 
color or gloss to the leaf. Some grocers give what they call "a bloom" to green 
teas by shaking them up with a little calcined magnesia, or finely powdered 
French chalk; black teas are faced with finely powdered black lead. 

Many of these substances can be detected by simply stirring the tea in a little 
cold water, when they will become detached and either make the water turbid or 
sink to the bottom. An inferior article, dyed with sulphate of iron, is often sold 
for pure green tea; to test it, make an infusion and put in a bit of gall-nut; if 
pure, the color will not change, but if sulphate of iron is present it will turn a 
deep black. To test for the presence of the other leaves mentioned above, steep 
a little tea, and drop in 1% grains of sulphate of copper or sulphate of iron; if a 
genuine green tea it will then present a fine blue tint when exposed to a good 
light; if a genuine black tea, it will turn a dark blue, almost black; if adulterated, 
yellow, blue, and green colors will appear. Tea when fresh gathered is some- 

(402) 



THE ADULTERATION OF FOOD. 403 

times dyed with Japan earth, giving it the color of black tea; to test for this, steep 
a little and add a little sulphate of iron (copperas); if not dyed it will turn nearly 
a blue black; if dyed it will be a light blue. Also when milk is added, instead of 
turning a blackish brown it takes a reddish hue. In cheap teas there is often a 
considerable proportion of mineral matter, i. e. added dirt. It can be detected 
by chewing a small quantity of the leaf, when dirt will be felt in the mouth. 
The best teas sometimes have inferior varieties mixed in with them, and the 
mixture is then sold as the best quality. The adulterations of teas are not, as a 
rule, detrimental to the health. 

Coffee. — The readiest safeguard is to buy only the green berries, and roast and 
grind them at home; they are less commonly adulterated than the ground coffee, 
but a machine has been made to press flour, chicory, etc., into the form of coffee 
berries, so that even this precaution is not an absolute protection. Ground cof- 
fee is almost universally adulterated with chicory, etc., and the chicory is itself 
often largely mixed with various rubbish, which, by roasting, gives a brown color 
to water. The presence of adulterants may be readily detected in roasted coffee 
as follows: Place a spoonful of the roasted berry gently on the surface of a glass 
of water; if pure, it will float some time, and scarcely color it; if adulterated it 
will rapidly absorb the water and sink to the bottom of the glass, giving a red- 
dish brown tint as it falls. Or, shake a spoonful of coffee with a wine glass of 
cold water, and then place the glass on the table; if pure, the coffee will rise to 
the surface and scarcely color the water: if not, it will sink to the bottom and 
tinge the water red. To test ground coffee throw a little on cold water; coffee 
will float, while cereals if present will sink; chicory, if present, will quickly color 
the water, while coffee will not. Most or the adulterations of coffee are not dele- 
terious. 

Cocoa. — This is never sold in the pure state, and no 2 preparations are alike. 
The only safe way is to buy that which is put up in packages bearing the name 
of some well-known maker whose preparations are wholesome and adapted to 
the demands of the palate. 

Baking Powders. — The principal adulterations to look out for are alum and 
ammonia. Alum is injurious to the health. "It unites with the phosphates in 
the bread, rendering them insoluble, and preventing their absorption and diges- 
tion," thus diminishing the nutritive value of the bread. Asa test for alum, make 
a fresh decoction of logwood, dissolve a little of the baking powder in it, and add 
a little acetic acid; if it turns bluish or purplish red, there is more or less alum, 
according to the color; if it is yellow there is no alum. To test for ammonia, 
make a strong solution of the baking powder in water, add a little piece of potas- 
sium hydrate, and heat till it steams; if ammonia is present the steam will turn 
red litmus paper blue. A certain amount of starch is needed in baking powders 
to keep them dry, but they are sometimes loaded with an excessive amount, and it 
becomes an adulteration, though not injurious. On dissolving the baking powder 
in water if the starch is excessive it may form a paste. It may be said without 
hesitation that all of the "cheap" baking powders are adulterated. 

Cream of Tartar. — The most common adulteration is with terra alba or gyp- 
sum, the amount introduced varying from 5% to 75$. To test, take % teaspoouful 
and pour on 1 cup of hot water; good cream of tartar will almost immediately 
dissolve, and the water will be almost transparent, but terra alba or gypsum is 
insoluble in hot water. 

Pickles. — The common adulterations of pickles are the use of alum, and color- 



404 THE ADULTERATION OP FOOD. 

ing them highly with copper. The presence of copper, even in very small 
quantities, may be easily and quickly detected by putting a piece of bright iron 
or steel, like a knife blade or knitting needle, into the jar of pickles for a short 
time, when, if copper is present, it will coat the metal. Another evil in cheap 
pickles is the use of adulterated vinegar. 

Vinegar. — This is adulterated with burnt sugar to give it color, and with sul- 
phuric and other acids, generally sulphuric, that being one of the cheapest. To 
test for the latter, put a few drops of barium chloride in some of the vinegar; it 
should turn a little cloudy, but if there is a marked precipitate too much sul- 
phuric acid is present. A further risk in vinegar containing sulphuric acid is 
that the acid has been made from pyrites and is contaminated with arsenic. 

Pepper. — Pepper corns may readily be judged by tasting; they cannot easily 
be replaced by other seeds, but may have been damaged by sea water and retain 
but little pungency. Ground pepper is often adulterated with mustard husks, 
roast ship-bread and Indian meal. Their presence may be detected by the micro- 
scope, but there is no simpler test adapted to the housewife's use. These adul- 
terations are not injurious to the health, but they reduce the strength of the 
pepper. The pure article is rarely found in the market in the ground state. 

Cayenne Pepper. — This is sometimes adulterated with red lead, ver million, 
red ochre, brick dust, turmeric, etc. Pure cayenne pepper when burnt, leaves a 
very small quantity of white ash; if a red-colored ash remains it shows the pres- 
ence of red ochre, brick dust, or other earthy coloring matter; if a dark-colored 
powder, or a small metallic globule is left behind, red lead has been introduced. 
The poisonous adulterations are not very common in this country, however, 
though English writers speak of them, and flour, etc., is added less commonly 
than in black pepper. A very gQod cayenne pepper can be made by grinding the 
pods of the red peppers which are so frequently cultivated for pickles. 

Sugar. — The inferior kinds are of ten adulterated with rice flour, gum, etc. 
Mites are common in moist sugar, but less so in crystallized; if a little is dropped 
in perfectly pure water the mites will float and the sugar will sink; the sugar 
will soon dissolve, and if there is any sediment it may safely be taken for sand or 
other adulterant. The hard and white or coarse granulated are the best to buy, 
as they are purer and less commonly adulterated than the fine powdered and 
moist sugars. The most common adulteration at present, however, is the mixture 
of glucose with sugar. This reduces the sweetening power of the sugar, but it is 
not at all injurious to the health, glucose being itself a form of sugar. It is dif- 
ficult to detect its presence in brown sugar, although it can be detected in white 
sugar by experts. If a mixed sugar is shaken in cold water, the cane sugar will 
dissolve first, and the glucose, being less soluble, will remain for some time undis- 
solved. Pulverized sugar is sometimes adulterated with starch, terra alba, or 
chalk. To test it, put a teaspoonf ul in a glass of pure water; if a sediment is 
deposited, or the water becomes milky, the sugar is adulterated. 

Canned Goods. — Recent tests of these goods show them to be quite generally 
adulterated. They are often colored with salts of copper; its presence may be 
detected as explained for pickles. Lead and zinc from the solder and tin can, 
often taints the contents to a dangerous extent. In buying canned goods the cans 
should be examined and only those purchased which are concave in the heads; 
this shows that they were hot when sealed. If the heads are convex it shows that 
decomposition has begun in the can, and gas is being generated. Also press up 
the bottom of the canj it will be solid if the goods are sound; if decomposition 



THE ADULTERATION OP FOOD. 405 

has begun it will rattle like the bottom of an oil can. Observing these rules may 
save some of our readers or their families from being sickened from canned goods. 
Salicylic acid and sulphites are often added for their antiseptic properties. If 
not positively injurious their use is objectionable, although not easily detected 
by the average buyer. 

Butter. — Cheap butters consist largely of the admixture of other animal fats. 
Analysis of suspected butter can hardly be undertaken by the ordinary housewife, 
but the presence of butterine is probable if the butter breaks in a crumbly man- 
ner and loses its color on being kept melted for a short time at the temperature of 
boiling water (212° F.). 

A preparation called "black pepsin" and some other nostrums have been sold for 
increasing the amount of butter produced from a given quantity of milk. Their 
effect is to combine or emulsify the butter fat, casein, and milk sugar or lactose, 
together with a large percentage of water. The compound thus produced is not 
pure butter, and will not keep as well, but its use is not deleterious at all. To 
detect it, put some of the suspected, and an equal amount of genuine butter, in 2 
different test tubes or glasses, and melt both with gentle heat. In genuine butter 
only a little water and curd will settle at the bottom of the glass, while in one of 
these compounds nearly % the whole mass will appear at the bottom as water, curd, 
etc. So large a percentage is water that it is of course much less nutritious than 
genuine butter. From 8% to 15 % of water appears in genuine butter, while from 
30$ to 50$ is water in these compounds. 

Milk. — Adulteration of this consists chiefly in adding water to skim milk, and 
in mixing skim milk with that sold as new. Analysis is possible only to a skilled 
chemist, but a rough test is possible at home. For new milk a capital test is to 
pour a small quantity into an ordinary glass test tube, graduated from at the 
top to 100 at the bottom. On allowing the sample to stand 20 hours cream will 
form, and its proportion can be read off at a glance. A simple rude test is to dip 
a well-polished knitting needle into a deep vessel of milk, and quickly withdraw it 
in an upright position. If the milk is pure a drop will hang to the needle, but the 
least addition of water will prevent the adhesion of the drop. Herr Szilasi pro- 
poses a new test. Put 20 drops of sulphate of diphenylamine in a small porcelain 
vessel, and add a few drops of the milk to be tested. If even 5$ of average well 
water is present a blue tinge will soon distinctly appear. The test depends on 
the fact that nearly all well water contains some nitrate, which will cause a blue 
tinge in sulphate of diphenylamine; if adulterated with perfectly pure water this 
test would be valueless, but that is rarely done. Sulphate of diphenylamine is 
cheap and easily obtained of druggists. Dextrin is occasionally added to milk. 
To detect it add a little solution of iodine; if the least dextrin is present the 
milk will be tinged red. 

Exaggerated statements are sometimes made about the addition of chalk, 
gypsum, gum arabic, etc., to milk. This is rarely done, and as these substances 
are insoluble and soon settle, it would be a stupid customer who did not soon 
detect their presence. 

As a precaution against diseased millc it is advisable to heat all milk to 160° to 
175° F., keeping it at that heat for about 20 minutes before being used, as 
that is fatal to all disease germs, and that is better than boiling it, as boiled milk 
is not so digestible or palatable as fresh milk. The public health is really more 
endangered by milk from diseased or improperly fed cows than by anything 
added to it, unless it is water from a foul well, 



406 THE ADULTERATION OF FOOD. 

Lard. — This is occasionally adulterated with alum and lime water to im- 
prove its color and add to its weight, and frequently with stearine and cotton- 
seed oil. The latter is a perfectly healthful food, and for some cooking purposes 
is better than lard, but these mixed products should be sold for just what they 
are, and not palmed off as pure lard. The methods of analysis are not adapted 
to the housewife's use. 

Sausage. — The principal adulterations in this are a red coloring matter 
(fuchsin) added to color up the poorer meat; meal, used to give it more bulk and 
so add to the profit; and borax and salicylic acid, used to check decomposition. 
The tests are not adapted for domestic use. 

Honey. — This is adulterated with glucose and cane sugar. It is hard to get 
it pure. To test the comb, apply a little sulphuric acid; that will turn beeswax 
black, but will not affect paraffine with which the artificial combs are made. 
There will be some pollen grains in pure honey, and none in artificial. 

Confectionery. — This is adulterated with aniline dyes, chrome yellow, fusel 
oil, tartaric acid, arsenic, terra alba (white earth) and glucose, but it is not so 
extensively adulterated as many other articles, or as many people imagine. 

Other Adulterations. — Among the other articles commonly adulterated are 
the following: Arrowroot, with other starches. Sago, with potato starch. 
Horse-radish, with turnips. Isinglass, with gelatine. Cloves, with arrowroot. 
Ginger, with turmeric, mustard and cayenne pepper. Cinnamon, with spent bark. 
Pimento, with ship-bread. Mustard, with yellow lake, flour, turmeric, and 
cayenne pepper (rarely found pure). The most practical way to obtain pure 
spices is to buy them in the unground state — it is almost the only way with 
some of them. 

Conclusion. — Many of the above adulterations are not injurious to the health, 
but they all reduce the strength and value of the article adulterated, and are a 
fraud on the purchaser. The presence of these adulterations is easily detected 
by the scientific analyst, but not readily by the average housewife. The extent 
to which adulterations are carried is little understood by the mass of the people. 
An official test of vinegars made in the state of New Jersey, showed that, out of 
12 samples analyzed, 11 were adulterated, and only 1 was pure. Similar tests of 
spices and other articles has revealed that from 25$ to 80 or 90$ of the samples 
examined were adulterated. Stringent laws are needed to check this evil, as 
individual action cannot cope with it. 



CUTTING UP AND CURfNG MEATS. 




It is very desirable for every housekeeper to know the location and names of 
the different parts of meat, and many families occasionally cut up and cure ani- 
mals for their own use, and so in this chapter we will give such information on 
these subjects as will meet the requirements of our readers. Before corning meat 
hang it 1 or 2 days after it is killed. 

BEEF. 

1. Bump.— Used for corned beef, stews and 
steaks. 

2. Aitchbone. — Used for stews and pot- 
roasts. 

3. Roundor Buttock.— Used for stews, boil- 
ing, pot-roasts, or steaks. The lower part is 
good to work up in Hamburg steaks and curry 
of beef. 

4. Hock-— Best for soup or stews. 
5- Shin or Leg.— Used for soup, stewing or 

hash. 

6. Shin.— Used for soup or cheap stews. 

7. Clod.— Used for soup, stock, stews, sau- 
sages, .etc. 

8. Neck or Sticking Piece.— -Used same as clod. 
9- Shoulder Clod.— Used for stews, pot-roasts, hashes, etc. 

10. Brisket.— Used for soups, stews, corned and spiced beef. 

11. Thin Flank.— Used for stews or for corned beef or dried beef. 

12. Thick Flank.— Suitable for corned beef, boiling, stews, or 
pressed beef. 

13' Sirloin.— Used for sirloin or porterhouse steaks or choice roasts. 
The tip is an extra fine roast, and should have 3 but is sometimes 
cut up with 2 ribs. 

14. Fore Rib.—Tiie 5 ribs nearest the sirloin are the best; it makes 
fine roasting pieces, or steaks; the bones are often taken out and 
the meat rolled, when the bones can be used for soup. 

15. Middle Ribs — Usually roasted. 

16. Chuck Ribs.— Used for stews and steaks and roasts of second 
quality. 

17. Cheek.— Used for soups or stews. 
Other parts used are: (18) The Brains which, when well 

soaked, can be stewed, fried, scalloped or made into cro- 
quettes. (19) Ox-tail, used for soups and stews. (20) Cow- 
heels, which make as good jelly as calves" feet, and what remains of them 
is good eating; they also make good soup. (21) The Heart, which can be stuffed, 
braised or roasted, but although economical it is rather indigestible. (22) The 
Liver. — It can be boiled or fried and is very nutritious and cheap. The food 
known as "faggots" is made of the liver and lights of sheep and bullocks mixed 
with some fat. (23) The Kidneys, used for stewing, pies or puddings. They are 
cheaper than kidneys of young animals, but difficult of digestion. They need 
light cooking, as they are apt to dry up when exposed to a high temperature. 
(24) The Tongue is boiled and braised, either fresh or salted. It can be bought 
either way. (25) Tripe. — This is easily digested, but is not very nutritious. (26) 
Sweetbreads. — This in full-grown animals consists of the pancreas, and is not 
equal to the thymus gland of the calf. (27) Suet. — That which surrounds the kid- 
neys is the firmest and best. (28) The Spleen or Milt of bullock, sheep and pig 
is sold for food. It is generally stuffed and roasted, or stewed or boiled for stock. 
(29) The Fillet lies under the rump and loin and weighs 6 or 8 lbs. 
The Lights are the lungs. The Pluck is the lights, liver and heart. 

(407) 




408 



CUTTING UP AND CURING MEATS. 




It is well to remember that any part of an animal which is much exercised is 
tougher than parts which are exercised little or none. 

VEAL. 

l 1. Head— Used for soup or jelly. Calves' brains are 
served as an entree. 

2. JVccM- -Used for stews or soup. 

3. Knuckle Best stewed or boiled; occasionally 

roasted. 

4. Feet Used for jelly making; occasionally stewed 

or fried. 

5. Loin— Prime roasting joint or for cutlets. 

6. Chump end of Loin— Used for roasting or cutlets. 

7. Fillet— The most economical roasting joint, and 
furnishes the best cutlets. 

8. Knuckle — This is cheap and is best used for stew- 
ing, boiling or for stock. 

9. Flank — Used for stews. 

10. Breast.— Best stewed; sometimes roasted. This part furnishes veal tendons served 
as an entree. 

11 and 12. Shoulder or Bladebone.—JJsed sometimes for roasting and sometimes for 
cutlets. 

13. Bib.— Used for small roasting joint or for chops- 

14. Sweetbreads.— These are found above Fig. 14 and consist of the thymus gland found 
on both sides of the windpipe. The stomach sweetbreads are located further along near 
the stomach. 

Other parts used are: (15) The Heart, which is more digestible than bullock's 
heart and is liked by many. (16) Liver. — This is very lean, and is usually cooked 
with some of the inside fat or with bacon. (17) Kidney. — This is more delicate 
than beef kidney, and is preferred to it. (18) Suet.— Veal suet is more delicate 
than beef suet, and may advantageously be substituted for that in puddings and 
for all purposes. 

MUTTON AND LAMB. 

1. Loin, chump end.— Used for roasting or chops; 
chump chops are cut nearest the tail where there is 
the most bone. 

2. Loin.— The best roasting joint. 

3. Back.— Use for roasting, boiling, or for mutton 
cutlets. 

4. Shoulder.— Used for roasting or for stuffing; is 
fatter and not so economical as the leg, but is preferred 
by many. 

5. Neck.— Used for stews. 

6. Head.— This makes excellent broth but is not much 
used by the well-to-do classes. 

7. Shank.— Suitable for stews or soups. 

8. Feet.— Used for jelly. 

9. Hock.— Suitable for stews or soup. 

10. Leg.— Used for roasts or chops; mutton steaks are cut from the leg; usually considered 
the most economical piece to buy. 

11. Breast.— Suitable for stewing or boiling; often economical, but too fat for some. 

Other parts are: (12) The Chine, which consists of the 2 loins unseparated 
from the backbone. (13) The Saddle, which consists of 2 loins and 2 legs 
undivided. (14) The Heart, which is best roasted. (15) The Liver, which can 
be fried or made into soup. (16) The Kidney, which can be broiled or stewed 
(often sold with the loin). (17) Mutton Suet. — This is not so good as beef suet for 
puddings, etc. 

Lamb. — When very large it is cut into the same joints as mutton; when small 
it is simply cut into quarters. Lamb's Siueetbreads are considered a delicacy. 
Lamb's Fry consists of the liver, the sweetbreads, and some of the inside fat or 
leaf of the heart. Lamb's Kidney, Head and Feet are also eaten. Lamb's 




CUTTING UP AND CURING MEATS. 



409 




kidneys cooked a little while are tender, but long cooking toughens them. 
Many people prefer the forequarter, but the leg is the most economical part to 
buy. 

PORK. 

1. Feet.— Used for pickle or jelly; occasion- 
ally boiled, or boned and stuffed. 

2. Ham or Leg.— Used for roasting, boiling 
or frying; the most economical piece to buy. 

3. Bacon.— Generally cured. 

4. Hock.— Best stewed or boiled. 

5. Shoulder.— Smoke, or cut steaks from 
this. 

6. Lower Neck.— Used for sausages or lard. 

7. Head.— Can be boiled or made into 
brawn; the cheek can be made into smoked 
jowls, and the snout boiled. 

8. Shoulder Top. —Used for spare-ribs, steak or sausage. 

9. Fore Loin.— Usually roasted. 

10. Loin.— The best roasting joint; chops are also cut from it. 
Other parts are: (11) Pig's Fry. — This consisting of the 

liver, sweetbreads and some of the inside fat. (12) The Harslet, 
consisting of the liver, lights and heart. (13) The Chine; this 
is the 2 loins unseparated from the backbone. (14) Lard; this 
has a lower melting point than beef or mutton fat, and the 
lower the heat at which it is melted the smoother it is. 

To Cut up Pork. — Have the hog laid on his back on a clean 
bench; cut off the head close to the base. If large there will 
come off a considerable collar between the head and shoulders, 
which, pickled or dried, is useful for cooking with vegetables. 
Separate the jowl from the face at the natural joint; open the 
skull lengthwise and take out the brains— esteemed a luxury. 
Then, with a sharp knife, remove the backbone the whole 
length; then the long strip of fat underlying it, leaving about 
1 inch of fat covering the spinal column. Take out the leaf ' 
lard, and the tenderloin — a fishy shaped piece of flesh. Now 
cut out the middle or sides, leaving the shoulders square- 
shaped and the hams pointed or rounded as desired. The 
spare-ribs are usually wholly removed from the sides, with but little meat adher- 
ing. It is the sides of young hogs, cured as hams, that bear the name of break- 
fast bacon. The sausage meat comes chiefly in strips from the backbone, part 
of which may also be used as steak. The lean trimmings from about the joints 
are used for sausage. The chines are smoked with the jowls and used in late 
winter and spring. The feet should be heated over the fire until the hoofs can 
be easily removed; then scrape clean, and, after being a few minutes in hot 
water, scrape and wash carefully, and they will be ready to cook. The fat from 
the intestines is all removed; use that which sticks to the larger intestines for 
soap grease. Sometimes the smaller intestines are used for sausage cases. Try 
up all flabby pieces for lard. The sweetbreads, liver, kidneys and heart are used 
for boiling. When meat is to be pickled it should be dusted lightly with salt- 
petre, sprinkled with salt, and allowed to drain 24 hours; then plunge it into 
pickle, and keep it under weight. It is good policy to pickle a portion of the 
sides. 

Pork is cured for the market in different ways; the fat sides are taken from the ribs, 
cut, in pieces, packed in barrels with layers of salt, and then covered with strong brine, in 
which it is kept until retailed frorn the barrels. Sometimes the sides are well cured in the 
brine, then hung, dried, and afterwards packed in boxes with dry salt. At the South this 
is called bacon, and smoked bacon if it has been hung in a smoke-house. Pig meat is treated 
in the latter way, and makes a delicate meat called breakfast bacon. The hams, shoulders 
and cheeks of pork are pickled in brine for a certain length of time, then are taken from 
the pickle, and either packed dry in salt, or smoked and packed in a manner to best pi'e- 
serve them. One of the best ways of keeping hams in the country, is to dry the hams well 
in a smoke-house, then rub them well with fine salt and sugar, roll up well in newspapers, 
and pack in barrels, filling as you go with clean wood ashes. 

25 



410 



CUTTING UP AND CURING MEATS. 




VENISON. 

1. Loin or Haunch.— Used for steaks, roasts and stews; 
also for making smoked venison; the ribs can be used for 
soup. 

2. Fore Loin.— Good for roasts or steaks. 

3. Shoulder.— Usually roasted, or boned, stuffed, and then 
roasted or baked. 

4. Neck or Scrag— Used, for soup or stews. 

5. Breast— Used for stews or baking. 
The best and sweetest venison comes from a female 

deer about 4 years old; doe venison (in season from 

October to December) is not equal to buck venison — 

(in season from June to October 1st). The haunch is 

the prime joint, though the shoulders are much 

esteemed. Venison requires more care in the killing, 

preserving and dressing than any other meat. As 

soon as it is cut up it should be taken into a cool, dry 

larder, dried with a cloth, and hung in an airy place, if it is to be kept some 

time, dust dry ginger and pepper over it to keep off flies; keep it as long as it is 

possible to preserve it untainted. If it should inadvertently become musty, first 

wash it with lukewarm vinegar and water, and afterwards with lukewarm milk 

and water, and then dry it perfectly with a cloth and flour it. 

Pickle for Meat. — Make 8 gallons of brine strong enough to float an egg, add 
2 lbs. of brown sugar, and 1 quart of molasses, and 4 oz. saltpetre; boil and skim 
clean, and pour cold on the meat. Meat intended for smoking should remain in 
pickle about 4 weeks. This pickle can be boiled over, and with a fresh cup of 
sugar and salt, used all summer. Some persons use as much soda as saltpetre; it 
will correct acidity, but we think impairs the meat. 

Note.— In salting or pickling beef or pork for family consumption, it not being gener- 
ally required to be kept for a great length of time, less salt and more of other matters better 
adapted to retain the mellowness in meat maybe used than could be adopted by those. who 
cure large quantities for shipment. Sugar is well known to possess the preserving princi- 
ple to a large degree without the pungency and stringency of salt. It acts without con- 
tracting the fibers of the meat, and therefore does not impair its mellowness, but when used 
in sufficiently large quantities for preservative effect it imparts a flavor not agreeable to 
many people. It may be used with salt, however, to great advantage in about the propor- 
tion of 1 part by weight of sugar to 4 parts of the mixture, and now that sugar is so much 
cheaper than formerly it may be more commonly used. 

Meat Pickle. — Take of moist sugar, 2 lbs., common salt, 4 lbs., saltpetre, J^ lb., 
fresh ground allspice, 2 oz.; water 6 to 8 quarts. Dissolve. Used to pickle meat, 
to which it imparts a fine red color, and a superior flavor. 

To Cure Meat. — To 1 gallon of water add 1% lbs. salt, % lb. of sugar, % oz - 
saltpetre, % oz - potash. Make any quantity desired, preserving these proportions. 
Boil these together until all the dirt from the sugar rises to the top and is 
skimmed off; then throw it into a tub to cool, and when cold pour it over the 
beef and pork to remain the usual time, say 4 or 5 weeks. The meat must be well 
covered with pickle and should not be put down for at least 2 days after killing, 
during which time it should be slightly sprinkled with saltpetre, which removes 
all surface blood, etc., leaving the meat fresh and clean. If this recipe is tried it 
will never be abandoned — nothing surpasses it. 

Curing Beef and Ham. — For beef use 6 lbs. salt, 1 oz. saltpetre, 4 oz. New 
Orleans sugar, % gallon sorghum molasses, 3^ gal. water; boil and skim the 
mixture; when cold, pour it over the meat, and if the latter is bloody pour off the 
brine, scald it, and when cold pour over the meat again. If the meat is a ham or 
shoulder to be smoked, it should lie in the brine 20 to 30 days, and then be hung 
up to smoke. Beef to be dried should be treated the same way, but corned beef 
lies in the brine until it is used up. 



CUTTING UP AND CURING MEATS. 411 

Hams, To Cure. — To each green ham of 18 lbs. use 1 dessertspoon of saltpetre, 
)4 lb- of brown sugar applied to the fleshy side of the ham and about the hock; 
cover the fleshy side with fine salt 3^ inch thick, and pack away in tubs; let 
remain from 3 to 6 weeks, according to size. Before smoking, rub off any salt 
that may remain on the ham, and cover well with ground pepper, particularly 
about the bone and hock. Hang up and drain for 2 days; smoke with green wood 
for 8 weeks, or until the rind assumes a light chestnut color. The pepper is an 
effectual preventive of the fly. (An extra recipe.) 

A Southern Rule for Curing Meat. — For 250 lbs. of beef or hams and shoulders, 
use 16 lbs. salt, 8 gal. water, 4 oz. saltpetre, 2 quarts molasses, 1 tablespoon soda; 
mix and dissolve. For salting beef, first cut it into suitable pieces and pack in a 
clean barrel as closely as can be pressed in by the hand; put it in even layers. 
When all the meat is packed place on top 4 sticks crossed, and lay on them a 
clean stone heavy enough to keep the meat under the brine. Pack hams the 
same way, and after 30 days remove from the brine and smoke. 

Westphalian Hams. — The famous Westphalian hams are cured thus: First 
rub with dry salt, and then drain 24 hours. Take 4 quarts salt, 3 lbs. brown sugar, 
1 lb. saltpetre, 4 oz. salprunella, 4 oz. juniper berries; bruise, mix well, boil in 
6 quarts of water, cool and skim. Take the hams from the salt, wipe dry, pour 
over the pickle, and rub well into the meat. Then smoke a little every day for 
3 months until completely dry, when they will keep sound and improve in flavor 
for years. Hams shrink in smoking about 10$ in weight, while pickled or salted 
pork gains about 10$. 

Sugar Curing Hams {English Recipe). — As soon as the meat comes from the 
butcher's hand rub it thoroughly with salt; repeat this 4 days, keeping the meat 
where it can drain. The fourth day rub it with saltpetre and a handful of salt, 
allowing 1 lb. of saltpetre to 70 lbs. of meat. Now mix 1 lb. of brown sugar, and 
1 lb. of molasses; rub it over the ham every day for a fortnight, and then smoke 
with hickory chips or cobs. Hams should be hung highest in meat houses, 
because there they are less liable to the attacks of insects. 

To Keep Cured Ham, — A simple way is by packing closely in a stone jar, 
(after taking off the rind and cutting in slices) and then exclude the air by pour- 
ing over enough melted lard to cover them; they will keep this way several 
months. When some is taken out melt the lard and pour on again, to protect 
the balance. 

Pickle for Corned Beef. — (1) Use 1 gal. water, 1% lbs. salt, % lb. brown sugar, 
J^ oz. saltpetre, % oz. potash; use same proportions for any quantity; boil all 
together in an iron kettle, skim and strain; put into the pickle tub, and when 
cold put in the meat, having the pickle cover it, and weighting it down with 
clean stones. (2) For 100 lbs. of beef use 8 lbs. fine salt, 4 lbs. brown sugar, 4 oz. 
saleratus, 2 oz. saltpetre, and mix well; put a layer of this in the bottom of the 
barrel and between each layer of meat, removing the large bones. Put a weight 
on the top layer to hold it down, and the juices of the meat furnish all the brine 
necessary. Meat thus pickled is ready for drying in 6 weeks, and does not 
toughen in the summer. 

To Corn Beef {Pocock Pickle). — Take 4 gallons fresh water, \% lbs. coarse 
brown sugar, 2 oz. saltpetre, 7 lbs. common salt; put all in a boiler, take off the 
scum as it rises, boil well, and then let it get cold. Have sufficient to cover the 
meat, lay a cloth over it, and weight down the meat. The same pickle may be 
us&d again by re-boiling, and adding a small quantity of each ingredient fresh. 



412 CUTTING UP AND CURING MEATS. 

Spiced Corn Beef.— Prepare a mixture of 4 cups molasses; 4 cups of salt; 4 
tablespoons of saltpetre; 2 tablespoons cloves; 2 tablespoons ground pepper; 
each day for 10 days rub this into the beef, turning the meat, and rubbing well 
in. This is for 20 lbs. of meat. At the end of the 10 days it can be used. 

Hamburgh Beef. — Take a piece of meat from some fleshy part; scatter com- 
mon salt under and over it, and let lie 24 hours to void the blood; then put into 
a pickle made with 1 gal. water that has been boiled, 1 lb. common salt, 1% lbs. 
coarse sugar, 2 oz. saltpetre, % P m * vinegar; simmer until all, are melted; place 
the meat in a deep narrow pan and pour over the liquor, covering it completely; 
it will be ready for smoking in 3 weeks; dry well with a cloth, and rub pea meal 
all over it, until it has a good coat on it. If well smoked it will come out a bright 
yellow, and will keep any length of time. 

Home-Made Dried Beef. — Select a nice round of beef — better from a young 
animal — divide it into 2 pieces, following the natural line of division very care- 
fully, so as not to make any cuts or gashes for the fly to burrow in. Then for 
50 lbs. of the meat make a mixture of 2 lbs. fine salt, 1 oz. of powdered saltpetre, 
1% lbs. brown sugar. Rub this mixture well into the meat every morning until 
used up, and at the end of 2 weeks hang up in a smoke house to smoke slightly 
or just enough to be tasted. Excess of smoke is not generally relished. It may 
be left hanging in any dry place away from flies. If it molds a little on the 
outside that will not hurt. 

Beef, Scotch Method of Drying. — Take 2 lbs. salt, 1 oz. finely ground cloves, 
2 oz. of ground pepper, or in these proportions for any desired quantity. After 
cutting the meat into suitable pieces, rub this mixture well into it every day for 
5 or 6 days; then hang the meat up to dry. This is said to produce superior 
dried beef. 

Tongues, To Cure. — (1) Take 9 lbs. salt, 8 oz. sugar, and 9 oz. powdered salt- 
petre. Rub the above ingredients well into the tongues, and keep them in this 
curing mixture for 2 months, turning them every day. Drain them from the 
pickle, cover them with brown paper, and have them smoked for about 3 weeks. 
The above quantity of brine is sufficient for 12 tongues of 5 lbs. each. (2) Take 
3^ oz. saltpetre; % oz. salprunella; 1 lb. salt; % lb. very coarse sugar; 4 bay leaves, 
1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 3 pints water. Let it boil for % hour, skim off the 
scum, and pour the liquid into a pickling dish; when it is quite cold put the 
tongue in, and turn it every day for 3 weeks, if you wish to cook it green, but if 
not leave it in the pickle for a month. This pickle will keep good for months if 
re-boiled and skimmed. Every tongue put in should first be well rubbed with salt, 
left to drain for 3 days, and then wiped dry. 

Pickle for Tongues and Beef. — Use 1 gal. water, 2 lbs. common salt, 4 oz. salt- 
petre, % lb. brown sugar; boil all well together. A tongue should be pickled 14 
days before it is considered well cured. 

To Pickle Pig's Feet. — Put them in strong brine, and leave for 1 week; then 
take out and boil in water to remove the brine; then pour vinegar over them, and 
soak in a pickle containing bay leaves, allspice and mace. 

To Clean Beef Tripe. — Rinse carefully in cold water (after emptying the con- 
tents, none of which should be allowed to touch the outside). Then sprinkle on 
lime, put it in a tub, pour on hot water and leave 2 hours; then try scraping it 
with a knife— if the dark does not come off readily, spread on more lime and put 
in the tub another hour or two; then scrape, and rinse clean with cold water. 
Put it in salt water, enough to cover it, and leave 3 days; change the water each 



CUTTING UP AND CURING MEATS. 413 

day. Take it out, cut in strips, and whiten by laying it in buttermilk for a few 
hours; then rinse clean, and boil for a few hours — or till it is tender enough to 
mash with the fingers. Then it is ready to cook as desired. 

Rennet, To Prepare. — Rennets should not be saved from calves less than a 
week old; those from 3 to 4 weeks old make the best. Never use a stomach of an 
animal the least out of health. Take the rennet out immediately after the animal 
is killed, turn inside out without washing, cure thoroughly with dairy salt, dry 
perfectly, and keep in paper bags till wanted for use. For use, soak in clean whey, 
saturated with salt, for 24 hours before using, frequently squeezing them with 
the hand to macerate. After being soaked, keep the liquor as cool as possible in 
tightly covered vessels until used. 

To Prepare Bladders for Use. — Soak them for 24 hours in a basin of water in 
which a little chloride of lime has been dissolved; then clear all extraneous mat- 
ter from the bladders, wash them thoroughly in clean water, and hang them up 
to dry. 

Sausages. — Use the trimmings and other lean and fat portions of pork, select- 
ing about twice as much lean as fat. Some consider it an improvement to add 
about one-sixth the weight of beef. Season to taste. Some use salt and pepper 
alone (say 1 teaspoon to 2 lbs. meat), and others add sage, thyme, mace, cloves and 
other spices. If the meat is put into muslin bags 1% to 3 inches in diameter, and, 
after being filled, are dipped into melted lard and hung up in a cool, dry place, it 
will keep very satisfactorily. 

Pork Sausages. — For these the right proportions of fat and lean meat is about 
34 fat, and for every 10 lbs. of the minced sausage 4 oz. of salt, 1 oz. of pulverized 
black pepper, and 1 tablespoon pulverized sage is nearly the right proportion of 
seasoning. Mix thoroughly, but add no water. It can be packed down in stone 
jars, with hot lard poured over it, to be cut out in slices for cooking; put in cheese- 
cloth bags of the right size to cut off pieces to serve, or it can be filled into the 
small intestines of beef or pigs, and tied into links. The intestines should be cut 
into pieces about a yard long; strip out the contents, turn them inside out on a 
stick; take them off and wash thoroughly in warm salted water; put to soak over 
night in another salted water; the next day thoroughly scrape them on a board 
with a dull knife; then soak them another night in salted water, when they will 
be ready for use. 

Bologna Sausages. — Take 3 lbs. lean beef, 3 lbs. lean pork, 2 lbs. fat bacon, X% 
lbs. beef suet; put the lean meat into a stewpan of hot water, and set it over the 
fire for % hour; then cut it small, each sort by itself; shred the suet, bacon or 
ham, each by itself. Season with pepper, thyme, chopped fine, and ground mace; 
fill ox-skins with it, tie them in lengths, and put them in a beef brine for 10 days; 
then smoke them the same as ham or tongue. Rub ground ginger or pepper over 
the outside after they are smoked, and keep them in a cool, dry place. (To pre- 
pare the skins, take ox intestines, cut them into strips about 6 feet long, wash 
them thoroughly in warm water, and then turn them inside out and wash again; 
scrape them with a suitable scraper designed for this use, wash off, and put them 
into salt water to soak until desired for use. Be very careful not to tear the 
skins while working on them.) 

A Simple Way to Smoke Meat. — Take a kerosene or rain water barrel, and drive 
nails around the top on which to hang the meat; fill an iron pan or pail half full 
of ashes, and build a fire in it; set it in the bottom of the barrel, place a board on 
top and cover with a heavy cloth or blanket to keep out the air and confine the 



m Cutting up and curing meats. 

smoke. Those without a smoke house can easily do a little smoking in this way. 

Lard, To Make.— Cut the fat up into pieces about 2 inches square; fill a vessel, 
holding about 3 gal., with the pieces; put in a pint of boiled lye made from oak 
and hickory ashes, and strained before using; boil gently over a slow fire until 
the cracklings have turned brown; strain and set aside to cool. This will give 
more, whiter, and better lard than any other process. 

Lard, To Bleach.— Apply a mixture of bichromate of potassa and muriatic 
acid in minute proportions to the fat. 

Lard, To Keep Sweet. — When rendering (melting) it, throw into each kettle 
a handful of slippery elm bark. Add no salt at any time; the jars in which it is 
kept must be perfectly cleaned. This plan will keep it sweet even in the warm- 
est weather. 

Beef Fat. — This, if thoroughly cooked in water and the fat skimmed off as 
it rises, is very nice. It will remain soft, and is preferred to lard by many, for 
various uses. 

Tallow, To Clarify. — Dissolve % lb. of alum in 1 pint of water; add 50 lbs. of 
tallow in a jacket kettle (i. e., a kettle set in a larger one, and the intervening 
space filled with water; this prevents burning the tallow); boil it % of an hour 
and skim. Then add % lb. salt dissolved in 1 pint of water; boil and skim. When 
well clarified the tallow should be nearly the color of water. 

Suet. — Cut fresh suet in small pieces and cover them with water; let them 
remain in the water bath 24 hours, but change the water once during the time; 
this removes the peculiar tallowy taste. Now drain well and put in an iron ket- 
tle with % teacup of milk to each pound of suet; let it cook very slowly till the 
fat looks clear and is light brown, and till all sound of cooking has ceased. Loosen 
the pieces from the bottom of the kettle to prevent scorching, but avoid stirring; 
let it stand till partly cooled, then pour into cups to become cold. It smells as 
sweet as butter, and can be used in place of it for many purposes. The fat left 
in the pieces may be pressed out and used in various ways. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE- 

It is a remark often repeated, but always true, that woman makes the home. 
The importance of the home and home life to the well being of society is so well 
known, and so often dwelt upon, as to need no repetition here. The butterflies 
of fashion may be indifferent to the value of a thorough knowledge of house- 
keeping, but sensible women know that all other accomplishments sink into 
comparative unimportance beside it, because it more deeply affects woman's real 
life and her relations to the family than any other. Like all other accomplish- 
ments it may be acquired by study and practice, but it can be acquired in no 
other way. Children should receive early instruction in domestic economy, and 
the lessons should be made as pleasant, and the subject as attractive as possible. 
It may save them from much tribulation and suffering later in life. Above all 
they should be taught to take a pride in their work, and a delight in doing it 
well. All work well done ennobles fhe doer, and any work slighted is a disgrace. 
To thoroughly understand all the details of housekeeping is to understand that 
which lies at the foundation of all the peace, comfort and well being of the family. 
It is knowledge and skill, not luck, which brings success. The admiration and 
esteem of husband and children will be more surely won, and much more surely 
retained, by the ability to manage the domestic affairs skilfully and economically, 
than by any of the lighter or more showy accomplishments. 

Even when a woman expects that she will be able to employ servants to do 
most of the hard work, she should know that if she would superintend their 
labors successfully she must understand the details of their work. Servants are 
quick to detect ignorance and incompetence in their mistress and to take advan- 
tage of it also, while superior intelligence speedily commands their respect, and 
checks their disposition to shirk. 

In housekeeping, as in everything else, system is of the utmost importance. 
And yet there are large numbers of housewives who do not appreciate its value. 
Not only should there be a place for everything, and everything put in its place, 
the importance of which is often insisted on, though none too often, but there 
should also be a time for everything. Have certain days of the week for doing 
certain things, and also arrange the work of the day, as far as possible, alloting a 
time for every duty. It is astonishing how much more can be accomplished by 
regular, systematic, well planned efforts, than by irregular and spasmodic work. 
Use your head in your work, and keep cool and self-possessed. The following 
rules are offered as being suggestive mainly: (1) Plan your work carefully, and 
work systematically. (2) Never rely on servants, but oversee everything. 
(3) Avoid both extravagance and waste. (4) Keep an accurate account of both 
receipts and expenditures. (5) Pay cash, and avoid debt as you would a pestilence. 
(6) When in doubt consult the index of this book. 

It may safely be said that the housewife is called upon to display an amount 
and variety of knowledge and skill such as is required of few men. Often, with- 
out any special education or preparation, she is called upon to deal with the 
most diverse subjects; she must mend and care for the family clothing, and often 
make a good deal of it; purchase and cook the food for the family; attend to the 
sinks, sewers and sanitary condition of the house; look after the health of the 
children and doctor their colds, accidents, and lighter complaints, and so- on 
through a long list of subjects. The object of these pages is to make a book of 
reference treating on the various departments of housekeeping, and, while avoid- 
ing technical and obscure terms, to place the teachings of modern science as far 
as possible within the reach of its readers, on those household subjects in which 
science plays a part. The subjects treated cover a wide range, but we have 
classified and arranged our information as well as possible. Modern homes are sup- 
plied with so great a variety of articles of use and ornament that their care is no 
small item, and we have endeavored to give the best information attainable on 
these matters. We often give several ways of doing the same thing. We have 
various reasons for this. One is the desire to inform our readers about the 

(415) 



416 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

matter, and another is that it is at some times more convenient to use one method 
than another; also in special cases one plan will work where another does not. 
In any event there is little danger of having too much information on any sub- 
ject. Some of our readers may not be familiar with some of the materials whose 
use we refer to, but most of them can easily be obtained at any drug store. 



THE KITCHEN, PANTRY AND STOREROOM. 

The Kitchen.— On the kitchen and its management the comfort of the whole 
house largely depends. It ought to be large, and fitted up neatly and pleasantly, 
and it should have an abundance of light and a cheerful aspect. All its sanitary 
arrangements should be most carefully examined and attended to, since negli- 
gence here will affect the whole household. See also that it is well ventilated. 
The essentials in the kitchen are to have an abundance of light, good ventilation, 
a cheerful aspect, and convenience of arrangement so as to save all the labor 
possible. 

The walls should be either whitewashed or painted — never papered. White- 
wash is clean and sweet, and it can be renewed at any time. 

If whitewash is used, at least twice a year a fresh coat should be laid on. 
The whitewash can be tinted if desired. If the walls are painted, a light shade 
is to be preferred. A good way is to cover the walls with a size made of a solution 
of % lb- °f gl ue to the gallon of water, and then apply a good oil paint. Painted 
walls should be washed at least twice a year. The best finish for the woodwork 
is to oil and varnish it, or simply oil it. It can then be easily and quickly wiped 
off when soiled. If painted, it will require a good deal of washing with soap to 
keep it in condition, and then the paint will wear off in spots. 

The Floor. — Have the floor smoothly and evenly laid, and with hard wood, if 
possible. Carefully selected hard pine answers very we'll, but maple or birch are 
better, birch being best as it does not stain so easily as maple; do not use spruce 
nor any soft wood. Then if the floor is oiled 2 or 3 times a year with boiled lin- 
seed oil it will make the cleanest and least troublesome finish. If not oiled, 
apply a black walnut stain, or any other which you prefer. We explain how to 
stain floors elsewhere, and any woman can stain her own floor. White floors are 
too suggestive of aching backs and tired arms. Carpets are not suitable for a 
kitchen. Oil cloth is better than carpet, but it is too cold, and is not equal to 
the wood floor. Tiles, which are sometimes recommended, tire the feet. 

Furnishing the Kitchen. — It is very desirable that a kitchen should be fur- 
nished with all the articles which will aid in performing the necessary work, but 
many housekeepers do not possess the means to buy all they want. There is no 
disgrace in not being able to buy certain articles, but there is great disgrace in 
not keeping those clean which are owned. The best way to do this is to never allow 
any article to be put away dirty. If this rule is followed uniformly there will be 
little fear that any article will not be clean any time it is wanted. 

The furniture of the kitchen and pantry should include — 

1 good cooking stove or range. 1 cooking-table. 

1 wash-boiler. 1 ironing table. 

1 wash-board. 1 low rocking chair. 

3 flat-irons. 3 chairs. 

1 polishing iron. 1 wash-bench. 

1 large iron dinner-pot. 3 sizes of composition wash-tubs. 

1 tall, narrow, iron soup-kettle. 2 composition water-pails. 

2 smaller vegetable kettles. 1 coffee-mill. 
1 shallow iron doughnut kettle. 1 spice-mill. 

1 double boiler. 1 mortar and pestle. 

1 large tea-kettle. 1 pair scales. 

3 sizes - of frying-pans. 1 bread-knife and board. 
1 dripping-pan for roasting meat. 1 meat-knife and board. 
1 porcelain kettle for preserving and 1 vegetable knife. 

canning. 3^ dozen kitchen knives and forks. 

4 brick-shaped bread-pans. % dozen tinned spoons (assorted sizes). 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 417 

1 round cake-pan, with center stem. 1 rolling-pin and molding-board. 

3 jelly-cake pans. 1 bread-box, of tin. 

1 gem pan. 1 cake-box, of tin. 

2 long, square baking-tins. 2 colanders, 1 coarse and 1 tine, 
1 gridiron. 1 gravy-strainer. 

1 wire bread-toaster. 1 granite-ware coffee-pot. 

4 small saucepans of different sizes. 1 earthen teapot. 

1 can-cutter. 1 tin chocolate-pot. 

1 chopping-knife and tray (for meats). 1 apple-corer. 

1 chopping-tray, for onions. 2 large cooking-bowls. 

1 chopping-tray, for fruit. 1 first-class cook book. 

At the sink there should be — 

1 tin water-dipper. 1 water-pail. 

1 wash-basin. 1 large dish-pan. 

1 soap-dish. 1 large draining-pan. 

1 soap-shaker. 1 large rinsing-pan. 

Have roller towels and a plenty of dish towels, and a slop-pail near at hand. 

For the china closet and side-board there should be: A dinner set of crockery 
which includes the breakfast and tea-set, goblets, tumblers, teaspoons, table- 
spoons, a butter knife, a carving knife and fork, soup ladle, pepper-boxes, salt- 
cellars or shakers, vinegar-bottle, mustard-pot, glass dishes for pickles and cel- 
ery, table-cloths and napkins, crumb-brush and pan. 

A smooth iron pot or kettle is excellent for all general purposes, as it wears 
indefinitely, and is better the longer it is used. If by accident it boils dry, take 
it from the fire and set it where it will cool gradually; if cold water is dashed in, 
it will cool suddenly, and crack. Care should also be taken that iron kettles and 
pots should not stand with liquids in them, in cold weather, where they will freeze 
solid, as that bursts them. 

Brass and copper vessels should never be used for cookery, as the danger of 
poison is too great, especially if used by inexperienced or ignorant persons. The 
mild acids found in foods (like acetic, malic, etc.,) readily attack these metals and 
produce poisonous compounds. 

The enamelled or porcelain kettle is invaluable for canning and stewing fruit, 
and for making preserves, jellies, and pickles, and one should always be kept for 
this purpose alone, but if used as an every-day kettle for meats and vegetables 
the enamel very soon wears or scales off, and then it becomes a rough and easily- 
rusted kettle, to which everything cooked therein is apt to stick and burn. 

A double boiler should, if possible, be owned by every family. It has many 
uses, and no kitchen is complete without one. 

Aluminum is undoubtedly the best metal with which to make cooking 
utensils. It is light, durable, easily cleaned, does not rust or corrode, and is 
not affected by any of the mild acids found in foods. Although it conducts heat 
readily, food cooked in it does not burn, and the use of aluminum vessels largely 
does away with the need of double boilers and porcelain kettles. The cooking 
utensils of the future will be largely made of it we believe. 

The above list of cooking utensils and tableware might be lengthened indefi- 
nitely if we included all the modern implements for the kitchen and pantry which 
are seen in the variety stores, supplemented with the luxurious and expensive 
dining-room ware deemed necessary by people of wealth, but very fair cooking 
for a small family can be accomplished with the above utensils, and a nice look- 
ing table furnished with the articles on this list. Skilled mechanics, however, 
know that to do good work they must have good tools and these must be kept in 
good condition; so, also, the woman who attempts to do her work well, should try 
and secure the best utensils and the most conveniences she can, and should aim 
to obtain improved and labor-saving devices as they appear from time to time. 
A trifling outlay for a new article will often save a great deal of work. 

A Salamander is a round iron plate with a long handle attached. The method 
of using it is to heat it red hot, and then to pass it over dishes, the surface of 
which it is desired to brown, but which cannot be placed in the oven; care is 
needed not to hold it too close, or the surface will be scorched. A common iron 
fire-shovel makes a very good substitute for a salamander. 



418 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Have a good dresser, if possible, in which to keep all pots, kettles, kitchen 
tableware, etc. The doors of the upper part of the dresser should slide one in 
front of the other, instead of being on hinges. Have wide closets below, contain- 
ing shelves, and drawers above the closets. 

There should be 2 or 3 tables in the kitchen. It will be a convenience to have 

1 table set at the end of the sink, on which to prepare the poultry, vegetables, etc., 
and have it set close to the sink so that water will not fall between the two. Have 
also a small table covered with zinc on which to rest the utensils when making 
waffles, omelets, etc., and another table on castors, which can be moved to the 
center of the room, and then pushed out of the way when not in use. 

A high stool will be a great advantage in every kitchen. It can have a back 
or a revolving top or not, but it can be used to sit down on while preparing veg- 
etables, ironing, washing dishes, etc., and the weariness and backache it will save 
will be an immense benefit. Sit down to your work when you can. 

The Range. — No other article of furniture in the kitchen is so important as 
the range. The set and portable ranges both have their advantages, but the 
portable range we think is preferable on the whole. We can hardly discuss at 
length here the merits of the ranges, gas stoves, etc., commonly used in the 
kitchen, but we have elsewhere discussed the care of stoves, blacking them, etc. 

Face the door leading from the kitchen to the dining-room with rubber, and 
put on a moderately stiff spring. This will keep it closed and prevent noisy 
slamming. 

In arranging for the work in the kitchen the great aim should be to system- 
atize things, and save steps and labor as much as possible. Have a good-sized 
sink, an iron one is best, and have it stand up on legs without being enclosed, as 
all dark corners will be lurking places for dirt and insects, and servants will find 
it so easy to overlook them! Have hooks under the sink on which to hang dish- 
cloths, etc. Nothing else is equal to tiles on the walls back of the sink and range. 
If tiles are not used, hard wood is best; and finish it with oil. Have the strainer 
over the waste-pipe fastened down firmly — a hinged strainer is a temptation to 
carelessness. Have a grooved and sloping shelf at one end, set so that it will 
drain into the sink, on which to place dishes after washing them. Locate the 
sink near the range and near a window, also, so that it can be well lighted, and 
have brackets arranged for lamps to light it in the evening. Be sure and pro- 
vide screens for the windows in summer, and if a few flower pots are put on the 
window sills they will give a cheerful appearance to the room. 

There are a few little details that are quite important in securing comfort in 
the kitchen. One is that the sink should be scoured daily with soft soap and 
boiling water, and rinsed. A second is that as soon as the day's work is done, 
the window should be opened at the top to dispel all the unpleasant smells; and 
a third is that the floor should be scoured at least twice a week with plenty of 
water. 

To Clean Wooden Tables, Shelves, Dressers, Etc. — Fine wood ashes sifted on 
from a cheese-cloth bag is better than sand. Sand, unless it is* very fine, will 
roughen the wood so that it will be difficult to keep it clean. Always scrub with 
the grain of the wood, and when quite clean rinse away all dirt, and dry the 
wood with a flannel cloth. Soda is better to use on wood than soap, as it keeps 
it whiter. Greese can often be conveniently removed by cutting a ripe tomato 
in two and rubbing it on the spot. See what we say about wood floors for fur- 
ther points about cleaning wood. 

To Make a Pastry Bag. — Take strong muslin 12 inches square, fold together 

2 opposite corners and fell together tightly 2 of the edges, thus making a triangu- 
lar bag; then cut off the point and insert a tin pastry tube. It is best to make 2 
or 3 bags for different sized tubes. To use the bag, put in the mixture, close the 
top, twist it, and hold it tightly with the right hand, while the left guides the 
point and presses out the mixture to form lady fingers, e'claires or anything else 
desired. (See the illustration accompanying "Lady Fingers.") 

Keep an Account Book. — Few housekeepers realize the value and import- 
ance of keeping an account of their household expenses. If an account book 
was kept on a shelf in the kitchen, and entries made in it of the various expendi- 
tures, it would stop many a leak, and give the housewife a much clearer idea of 
where the money was going, and it would furnish a basis on which to calculate 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 419 

expenses. We firrnly believe in the value and utility of such a course, and the 
labor involved is not large. 

The Pantry. — The pantry is second only to the kitchen in importance, and it 
justly receives much more attention now than formerly. Have the pantry roomy 
and well lighted. Much work can then be done more pleasantly here than in the 
kitchen. Place the flour barrel on a rack a few inches from the floor to secure a draft 
underneath, which will prevent dampness. Have hooks at one end on which to 
hang sauce-pans, etc., and have an abundance of drawers, shelves and closets for 
holding the china, tableware, linen, etc. There can hardly be too re many. In 
arranging the pantry, systematize everything as much as possible, and study con- 
venience and economy of labor. To the busy housekeeper this is always of great 
importance. 

Pantry shelves are best washed with the solution of hot alum water elsewhere 
recommended, to rid them of ants, cockroaches, and other insects. 

The {Storeroom. — If the arrangement of the house will admit of it, a store- 
room and a china closet will also be a great advantage. Have a small window in 
the storeroom to afford light. Provide also for its ventilation, and keep it locked. 
It will be a great economy to buy many articles of food by the quantity, and at 
favorable seasons when the prices are low, if only there is a suitable room in 
which to store them. Canned goods can be bought by the dozen; soap, candles, 
starch, etc., by the box, and so on. Ail foods which attract weevils or mice are 
best kept in tin boxes. These are more expensive than those of wood, but they 
are also more durable, and in the end more economical. Each box should be 
plainly labeled so that no mistakes about their contents can occur. 

Brooms. — About once a week dip brooms in hot soapsuds; it can be done on 
wash days when the suds are at hand. It will make the brooms both tough and 
flexible, and will increase the wear of both carpets and brooms. Put a screw eye 
in the end of the handle and hang up the broom — that is the best way to keep it. 
Patent holders may be bought, but this answers as well. Always keep a new broom 
for sweeping the carpets — the old one may be used for the outside stairs and 
yards, or have a coarse broom for that purpose; never use the same broom for both. 



DISHWASHING. 

In washing dishes either have 2 pans, or 1 large oval pan with a partition in 
the middle, which is a very convenient arrangement. About half fill one pan (or 
division, if the latter form of pan is used) with water as hot as you can hold your 
hand in, shaking soap in it till a strong suds is formed. Half till the other pan 
(or division) with clear water which is even hotter. The skilful dish washer will 
use very hot water, as the hotter it is, the more perfect will be the work. Then, 
taking each piece separately, wash the dishes thoroughly in the first water, both 
inside and out, and in all cracks and crevices, and between the tines of the forks, 
etc., and rinse them in the second water, and set them on the grooved dish-drainer, 
beside the sink, if you have one. When well drained, wipe them dry with a 
clean soft towel, as perfect drying is an important matter. 

In washing dishes observe the proper order. First wash the glasses, and then 
the silverware, unless both of these are washed separately in water containing am- 
monia but no soap, which is really the best way to wash them. Then wash the 
cups and saucers and the articles which have not come in contact with grease. 
Then wash the plates and dishes, which should be scraped as clean as possible, 
and renew the suds if need be. Then wash the tinware and other utensils. After 
washing them, put the tin, iron and granite ware in a moderately warm place 
near the fire to warm and dry for a few minutes before putting them away, which 
will keep them fresh and sweet. In order that they may dry well do not turn 
down the glassware, etc.. after wiping it, until it is put away in the closet. 
Some people prefer to wash their delicate china and glassware in a wooden bowl, 
as there is less liability of breaking or chipping it than in metal pans. Some use 
more soda for washing dishes, and less soap. It works well, and if used judi- 
ciously, very little soap is needed for this purpose. Under the head of "Glass- 
ware,"' "Silverware," etc., we give many hints about the care and cleaning of 
these articles. 



420 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

A sort of small dish-mop, tied to a handle, will be found very convenient for 
washing small deep articles. Every kitchen should be provided plentifully with 
towels, and they should be as regularly and carefully laundried as any of the 
other clothes. A failure to boil, and dry in the fresh air, is what causes the close, 
sour smell in dishcloths, with which all housekeepers are familiar, and it is 
wholly unnecessary and unpardonable. It will be best to use 3 wiping towels 
each time — 1 for the finer articles, another for the greasy dishes and the 
last for the tinware and other utensils. All the utensils of tin, iron, wood, etc., 
should be washed and wiped as carefully as the tableware. Soft crash towels 
are the best to use, and a dozen or more should be prepared at a time. 

When dishes are washed in hard water add a little milk. Putting ^ to % of 
a cup of milk into a dishpan half full of hot water will be a great improvement 
at any time; it will make the dishes brighter, and keep the hands soft. It also 
makes the washing of pots and tins easier. 

Wash dishes, kettles, etc., soon after using them; do not let them lie around 
unwashed. 

The dishwater and soapsuds may be utilized by pouring it about the roots 
of the raspberry or currant bushes, or young fruit trees. Few people realize 
what a surprisingly good fertilizer it is. No one having a garden should waste 
their soapsuds. 

Broom-corn tied with strong cords near the coarse ends into bundles about as 
large as a broom handle, makes very handy wisps for cleaning pots, kettles, 
dishes, etc. If you sprinkle cornmeal on very greasy dishes, and then scrape 
them with one of these wisps before wetting them, it will keep the dishwater 
much cleaner and better for use. The cornmeal can afterwards be fed to the 
chickens or pigs so that it will not be wasted. The wire dishcloth is invaluable 
in washing pots and kettles. It is always clean and never wears out. 

Many servants, or perhaps most servants, are unreasonably careless in hand- 
ling dishes, and the number broken is often appalling. They should be told 
that they will be required to replace all dishes which they either break or nick 
(the latter is quite as bad as the former) or the value will be deducted from their 
wages. Such a rule will both make them more careful, and so avert much needless 
breakage, and it will develop a habit of watchfulness in the servants which will 
be a great benefit to them. 

Washing Glassware. — Never put glass into hot water bottom first, as it will 
then be liable to crack from its sudden expansion, but the finest and most delicate 
glass will be safe if it is slipped in edgeways, which is a fact worth remembering. 

KNIVES AND FORKS. 

Steel knives and forks should be cleaned as quickly as possible after being 
used; the longer they are left with stains on them the harder they will be to 
clean. Then dip the blades only into a jug of hot water and wipe dry with a soft 
linen cloth. Rubbing the blades with a flannel dipped in oil, leaving it on 1 or 
2 hours, and then wiping dry improves them. Putting on powdered quicklime, 
leaving it on an hour or two, and then wiping it off, is also good. A paper box 
containing slacked lime should be kept near them in damp weather; the lime 
attracts the moisture in the air and prevents their rusting. 

To scour knives and forks bath brick is most commonly used, and is undoubt- 
edly good. If 2 ordinary bricks are rubbed together, and the dust gathered up 
and kept for this purpose, it is about as good as the bath brick. Rubbing them 
with pulverized charcoal also gives a superior polish. In scouring, use a cork or 
cloth, dipped in hot water or soft soap, and then in whatever scouring dust is 
used; a raw potato cut in two and used with the scouring dust, instead of a cork, 
cleans beautifully. A little baking soda mixed with the brick dust will make 
it polish better. Scour briskly until all spots are gone; then wash the article, 
rinse in hot water, and wipe dry. A better knife board, however, *s one covered 
with very thick leather, on which emery powder is placed. Rubbing the knives 
on this gives a fine polish, and does not wear them out so fast as the plain board 
and bath brick. 

Ivory, bone and pearl handled knives should never be put in hot water. The 
heat will soften the cement with which the handle is fastened on, and it will 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 421 

soon loosen. Use only lukewarm soapsuds, and lukewarm rinsing water. Great 
care must be used to wipe them, dry, and see that they are thoroughly dry before 
laying them away. Soapsuds does not injure ivory. 

An excellent way to prevent putting pearl and ivory handled knives in water 
while washing them is to cut narrow slits in a piece of tin and set this over a jar 
or pail, full of hot soda water; drop the knives or forks in the slits and the blades 
and prongs will go into the water, but the handles will not. 

To clean ivory and bone handles, and also to take off the yellow tinge, see 
"Bone and Ivory" elsewhere. When not in constant use ivory handled knives 
should be taken out occasionally and the handles exposed to the rays of the sun 
to prevent their turning yellow. 

Cement for Knife and Fork Handles. — Knife and fork handles which become 
loose may be fastened on again by nearly filling the hollow with one of the follow- 
ing cements, then heat the tang and press it in: (1) Melt together 4 parts resin 
and 1 part beeswax; when melted, stir in 1 part fine brick dust. (2) Melt together 
5 parts pitch; 1 part hard tallow; 1 part wood ashes. (3) Melt together 1 part 
resin and 1 part sulphur, and stir in 1 part brick dust. (4) Melt together 1 part 
colophony and % part sulphur; when cold grind it to powder, and mix in % as 
much iron filings or brick dust. Very tenacious. 

To keep steel knives and forks from rusting when not in use there are 
various methods: (1) Rub them with mutton tallow (use the raw) and wrap 
silver paper, or coarse brown paper around them. Do not wrap them in woolens — 
they do not keep well so. (2) Prepare a strong solution of soda—4 parts soda to 1 of 
water; dip them (steel parts only — not the handles) in the solution, wipe dry, 
wrap in coarse brown paper and keep in a dry place. (3) Have a case containing 
sifted quicklime about 8 inches deep; plunge them in this to the top of the blades, 
but do not let the lime touch the handles. (See also our article on "Steel.") 

To Take off Rust. — If knives become rusty, rub on sweet oil and leave it on a 
couple of days; then, using a lump of fresh lime, scour them until the rust is 
gone. 

To Remove the Taste of Fish. — When steel knives and forks taste of fish, rub 
them with fresh lemon or orange peel; that will remove the taste. 

Hints. — The cutlery used for the table should not be used to cook with, nor 
in the kitchen. Have separate sets for each purpose. 

Never put a knife into hot grease; that will take the temper out of the steel 
and spoil it. 

KETTLES AND VESSELS. 

In buying iron utensils get the best quality, and see that they are well fin- 
ished. Heat them gradually at first, and they will afterwards be less likely to 
crack. The iron taste may be removed by putting in a handful of hay and boil- 
ing it for a little while. Tin and wooden ware may be sweetened the same way. 
A good way to treat new iron utensils is to first wash, and wipe dry; then rub 
over the inside with some pure oil or fat; let stand a few hours and wash again; 
then heat gradually over the fire; then wash again with soap and water, rinse, 
wipe dry, and then rub hard with a dry towel; this will smooth the surface. As 
they are used, and the surface becomes smooth, they become more valuable. Do 
not wipe them with a wet cloth and then put on the stove to dry, as that will 
tend to rust them, and make the surface rough. 

Utensils of all kinds, iron, tin or wood, should be cleaned with the utmost care. 

Always fill a bowl or pan with water as soon as through with it, if you are 
not then ready to wash it, in order to prevent the remnants of the substance 
which it contained from hardening on the surface, and so becoming difficult of 
removal. 

Frying-pans, granite-ware, etc., should be frequently scoured. Whenever 
they begin to look dull and rough, and all traces of the food are not removed by 
soap and water, scour them with sapolio or bath brick. The former is best, but 
keep the articles fresh and bright. 

To remove the fur on the kettle, if made of iron or copper, place it over the 
fire empty for a short time; the scaly deposit will be loosened so that it can be 
removed easily. A tea-kettle may be prevented from becoming furred by putting 
a clean oyster shell in it. 



422 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

A kettle may be easily cleaned by putting in a little hot water, putting on the 
cover, and boiling it a short time; the steam loosens the dirt, and it can be readily 
scoured off afterwards. 

Iron Pots or Kettles. — A new iron pot or kettle, before being cooked in, should 
have ashes or hay boiled in it; then scour it well with soapsuds and sand; then 
rinse it out and boil clean water in it for 2or3 hours. Many things may be safely 
cooked in iron which are generally cooked in granite-ware, if it is kept scrupu- 
lously clean. The outside of iron pots and kettles can be washed with hot water 
and soap, or soapsuds and sand. Grease an iron pot with new lard after using, 
to prevent its rusting. 

// anything becomes burned on a kettle scrape it off with an oyster or clam 
shell, which is better than a knife. 

If a copper tea-kettle is used it can be kept bright and clean by scrubbing it 
off every morning with a cloth dipped in sour milk, and then washing it with 
clean water. A solution of salt and buttermilk will also clean a copper kettle 
readily; then rinse it well. 

Before cooking fish in a kettle put it over the fire and heat it; if any odor 
arises clean it out with soda or whiting before using. If the smallest particle of 
fish remains in a kettle the next fish cooked in it is apt to be tainted. 

Removing Disagreeable Odors. — Disagreeable odors, like those from onions, 
cabbage, fish, etc., sometimes cling to cooking utensils, even after the most care- 
ful washing. (1) If they are put in hot water containing a little washing soda, 
potash or concentrated lye, and afterwards washed with hot suds, then rinsed 
and dried, they will be perfectly sweet. (2) Odors like those from musk, cod-liver 
oil, etc., can be removed from pans or vessels by using ground mustard mixed 
with a little water. Flaxseed meal, or any other of the oily seeds, or almond 
cake, or bitter almonds, will answer the same purpose. Scale pans or any vessel 
may be thus cleansed. 

Cake tins should be washed like other dishes, first thoroughly inside and out 
with soapsuds, then rinsed, wiped clean, and thoroughly dried. 

Pie-plates, baking -dishes, pans, which have been used for baking and become 
rancid, pots, etc., can be cleaned by putting them in cold water, adding some 
washing soda, and bringing them to a boil; then set them aside to cool, and then 
scrub them thoroughly with hot soapsuds, using a small brush; scald 2 or 3 times 
with hot water, and wipe dry. This will keep them sweet and clean. 

A saucepan which is clean outside will cook more quickly than one which is 
dirty, and all cooking utensils should be thoroughly clean on the outside. Half 
the smudges on hands, face, and clothing of the slovenly cook come from the out- 
side of pots, pans, and kettles. 

After making pastry put water in the bowl used, scrape the board clean and 
wash it if necessary and also the rolling-pin, although a neat pastry maker 
scarcely soils a board. If either a marble slab or a glass rolling-pin is used they 
should be washed each time. 

A frying-pan should not have the inside scraped, as anything afterwards 
fried in it is liable to stick on, or burn the pan. If the inside is black, rub it with 
a hard crust of bread, and wash it afterwards with hot water and sand soap. 
Ordinarily, wash it in hot water and soda, without soap or sand; then rinse, dry 
thoroughly, and deep in a dry place. 

For cleaning porcelain kettles, etc., see. "Porcelain." 

Sieves. — Wash sieves with soap and water, rinse thoroughly, and let them dry 
of their own accord. 

Soap stone griddles are better than iron ones. After lifting one mess of cakes, 
rub them with brown paper before putting on another mess; do not grease the 
griddle as that would spoil it. When through with it rub it clean with sand- 
paper before putting it away; if a little rough at first, it will soon be smoothed 
with the sand-paper. 

Tea-Kettles. — The kettle in which water is boiled for tea, of whatever material 
it is made, should have a lid that shuts closely, and be kept quite free from fur. 
If water, especially hard water, be constantly boiled in the same vessel, which is 
filled up from time to time and never emptied, fur will accumulate.. A clean 
oyster shell or a marble or two put into the kettle will prevent this by continu- 
ally moving about as the water boils, but a much cleaner and better plan is to 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 423 

never let a kettle stand with a small quantity of water in it. When not actually 
needed for use pour out the water, rinse with clean water, wipe, and leave it dry. 

Teapots. — To keep a teapot clean and sweet great care is needed. Immedi- 
ately after use, remove the old leaves, scald the teapot out with fresh hot water, 
and wipe it quite dry. Never allow the inside to become stained with the old 
leaves; no good tea can be made in a stained teapot. The smell alone should re- 
veal this, and yet many persons take no pains to keep their teapots clean inside. 
A new teapot thus treated from the beginning will give little trouble and never 
become stained. 

Never put a teapot away, even for a few hours, with the lid closed. When the 
lid is closed, dampness gathers, and the pot soon becomes musty. A small stick 
will keep the lid open, enough to admit the air and keep it sweet. 

To clean a musty teapot fill it with boiling water and add some strong wash- 
ing soda; leave it in a day or two, and then wash out thoroughly. 

Coffee-Pots. — For the care of coffee-pots, see our article elsewhere on making 
coffee. 

REFRIGERATORS. 

A refrigerator is so useful in preserving food in hot weather, etc., that it is a 
very profitable investment. Its care is important. Twice a week during the 
season every part, except the ice compartment, should be gone over, the shelves 
taken out, and all the surfaces washed and wiped carefully. Once a week use 
some of the "washing soda" solution given among the "Useful Articles." Care 
must be taken that no fragment of fish, meat, or other substance lodges in any 
corner to decay and taint the contents. Once in 2 weeks will be often enough to 
wash the ice compartment. All strong smelling articles, as well as the milk and 
butter, should be kept covered, and it is a good idea to keep some charcoal in the 
refrigerator, changing it occasionally. Do not have the waste pipe connected di- 
rectly with the sewer. If the waste water is to run into the sewer, let it drip into 
a tunnel connected with a pipe running to the general drainage system of the 
house, keeping, in this way, a current of air between the drain pipe and the re- 
frigerator. It is important that there should be no connection between any place 
where food is kept and any drain or receptacle of waste matter. 

Two refrigerators are desirable, one for milk and butter alone, and one for 
meat, vegetables and other food. 

If a dish containing a good-sized lump of unslacked lime is placed on a shelf 
in the refrigerator it will absorb the moisture, and so help to prevent mold and 
keep the food from spoiling. 

If through the carelessness of servants, butter, grease, etc., has come _ in 
contact with the zinc lining of the refrigerator and there is a musty smell which 
cannot be removed with the soda-wash, mix a quart of quick-lime, and apply with 
a paint-brush to every part of the zinc lining — top as well as bottom and sides, 
washing it on thick like paint. If the wooden racks or trays cannot be made 
sweet by the use of the strong soda water and drying in the hot sun, paint them 
also with the thick lime-wash and you will be well pleased with the result. 



SINKS AND DRAINS. 

Always have a window over or near the sink. Glazed stoneware is the best 
material with which to line them. Iron is often used. Lead is not suitable as 
grease and soap have a tendency to adhere to it, and it is difficult to keep such 
sinks clean. A rusty iron sink may be cleaned by letting it dry, and then rub it 
with kerosene on a woolen cloth. Or rub it with emery powder, or with vinegar 
and salt. To prevent an iron sink from rusting dissolve % lb. of asphaltum in 
spirits of turpentine, and apply it with a brush. Every day when through with 
the sink wash it with soap and water, or soda and water, and thus keep it uni- 
formly clean. All the sink brushes should be washed in soapsuds, or soda and 
water, once a week. See the "washing soda" given among the "Useful Articles." 

Vegetable Waters. — If the water in which cabbages, greens, onions, etc., have 
been boiled is poured down the kitchen sink, it is apt to emit an odor which may 



424 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

permeate the whole house. It is much better to throw the water in which vege- 
tables have been boiled in the back yard away from the house. If such water 
is poured down the sink, even when there are sewers and traps in good working 
order, some deodorizing disinfectant should be poured down immediately after. 

Refuse. — Never sweep any refuse matter towards or down a drain pipe; and 
be sure and keep the holes or Openings clear. 

Flushing Pipes.— Some people think that when the water trickles or runs 
slowly, that it flushes out the pipe and clears the drain. That is a great mistake. 
A driblet of water is useless for that purpose, and is a sheer waste. What is 
needed to flush and clear a pipe or drain, is a deluge of water, which acts like a 
torrent, sweeping things before it. 

The drain pipe should, once or twice a week, have a good disinfectant poured 
down it. Dissolve 5 cents worth of copperas in % P a ^ °f water and pour it down. 
This is the best thing to use, and it will kill all foul smells and keep the drain 
pure. Carbolic acid and chloride of lime answer well, but their smell is offensive 
to many people, and the latter spoils food exposed to its odor. 

To prevent the accumulation of greasy deposits there should be poured down 
the kitchen sink once or twice a week regularly, the year round, 1 or 2 buckets of 
boiling hot water containing common soda or potash. This will not injure the 
pipes in the least, and it will keep them clean. It converts the fats into soft 
soap, and clears drains which at first appear to be hopelessly choked; .2 or 3 
doses may occasionally be needed. Copperas is sometimes used, but for this 
purpose soda or potash is better. 

All the closets, sinks, and catch-basins in the house should have some good 
disinfectant poured down them every 3 or 4 weeks. 

To detect a leak in a waste pipe go into a room where the waste pipe starts, 
shut the door, and pour down it a pail of boiling water containing 2 or 3 oz. oil 
of peppermint; let some one follow along the pipe who has not inhaled the pepper- 
mint; its strong pungent odor will readily be noticed at the point of leakage. 

Server Gas. — When it is suspected that sewer gas is escaping from a pipe or 
drain it may be readily tested by moistening some muslin in acetate of lead; 
wrap a single layer of this muslin over the pipe where the leak is suspected, and 
the cloth will be darkened by the escaping gas, if there is any. 



CELLARS. 

Instead of being neglected, as they too often are, cellars should be considered 
as one of the most important features of a home. They should be kept scrupu- 
lously clean, and well drained and ventilated. Many cases of disease can be di- 
rectly traced to ill-kept cellars. Look after the drainage, and see that the cellar 
is kept as dry as possible. Attend also to the ventilation. A brick taken out 
from the bottom of the chimney flue makes a good opening for the escape of the 
damp air. Ventilate at the bottom when possible, so as to change the whole air 
in the cellar. Open and ventilate it as early in the spring as the weather is at 
all suitable, and during the whole season admit as much fresh air as possible. 
During summer the windows should be opened for ventilation mostly at night — 
the last thing before retiring — and kept closed during the day. This allows the 
cool air to circulate during the night. The object to aim at is to keep the cellar 
cool and dry. Air admitted on a warm day into a cool cellar, will deposit its 
moisture on the cellar walls, and defeat the very object sought. Lime will ab- 
sorb the moisture and noxious gases, if they cannot be expelled, or their forma- 
tion prevented. A peck of lime will absorb about 3 quarts of water, and in this 
way a cellar can be soon dried, even in the hottest weather. Charcoal is also a 
great absorber of gases, and when a cellar cannot be well ventilated, and has a 
damp smell, a few plates of charcoal set around will greatly improve the air. A 
tub of broken ice with salt in it will lower the temperature of a cellar at any 
time. 

In cleaning the cellar in the spring, change the places of all boxes, barrels, 
etc., in order that the dampness beneath them may thoroughly dry out. Sweep 
overhead, and down the walls, and clean out all nooks and corners. Take special 
pains to clear out all remnants of vegetables, and all shreds of growing things, in 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 425 

order that they may not remain to decay and pollute the air. Exhalations from 
such things will find their way into the rooms above and often injure the health 
of the family. It is an excellent plan to whitewash the walls and ceiling, making 
the whitewash yellow with copperas, and add a little salt. That will kill all in- 
sects and sweeten the cellar. Carry out and destroy all rubbish, and sprinkle 
thoroughly all over the cellar bottom, a strong solution of copperas water and 
common salt, put in a watering pot; a second sprinkling also will be all the 
better. The unpleasant odor which often taints milk, meat, etc., can be pre- 
vented by using about 1 oz. of carbolic acid to a gallon of whitewash. 

Chloride of Lime. — As the odor of chloride of lime will spoil the flavor of all 
foods, it should not be used to disinfect cellars. 

A hanging shelf in the cellar is indispensable, and a dark cupboard for stor- 
ing canned fruit. The bottom of this cupboard or closet should be well set up 
from the bottom of the cellar to prevent dampness and mold. 

Cellar windows should (1) be protected on the outside with iron bars, strong 
coarse wire netting, or strong wooden bars; (2) inside this outer screen should be 
a wire screen, fine enough to keep out flies and other insects; (3) the glass win- 
dows should be hung on hinges to open and shut in a moment's time when 
needed. A cellar should be well supplied with light. 

Divide the cellar into different rooms which can be kept at different temper- 
atures, if the cellar is to be used for various purposes such as storing vegetables 
and fuel, and containing the furnace. 

The _F7oor.— Make the cellar floor of about 6 inches of concrete, and cover it 
with Portland cement or asphalt. In damp soil put tiling under the floor, and so 
drain the water out and carry it away from the house. Remember that a cellar 
free from dampness and ground air is essential to health, and if economy is neces- 
sary other things should be sacrificed to obtain this. 

The Walls. — If cellar walls are built of brick, water will pass through however 
thick they may be, unless they are built hollow. In building, put a thin outer 
wall 2 or 3 inches from the main one, binding the 2 together by an occasional 
brick laid across. Make the wall air and water tight if possible. 

If cellar walls are damp, apply one of the compositions given elsewhere for 
damp walls. 

When cellars have been flooded they should be thoroughly disinfected after 
the inundation subsides. About the best thing for this purpose is chloride of 
zinc; copperas is cheaper, and answers fairly well, but is not equal to the zinc. 

The Garbage Pail or Barrel. — Neglected garbage pails are a sure and ready 
breeding place for dangerous and disease breeding bacteria; and yet many other- 
wise neat housekeepers often neglect them. They should be regularly emptied 
and carefully cleaned. On the weekly washing day, when there is a good supply 
of suds, is a good time for cleaning them. Take an old broom and scrub the 
pail thoroughly with the suds, and scrub the lid also. Then throw in a solution 
of washing soda or lye, in hot water, and scrub it around with a little whisk, 
touching every part with this disinfecting solution; then rinse it with clean water, 
drain it, and set in, the hot sun to dry. 



THE ICE-HOUSE AND ICE. 

Ice in the summer is a great convenience, almost a necessity, and a supply 
can be put up by people in the country much more easily than many imagine. 
An ice-house need not be put under ground even in part, and the expense of 
building a moderate sized one is small, or a corner can be partitioned off in the 
shed, or even in the barn. The best lumber is not needed, but it will be a good 
plan to coat it inside with coal tar to prevent its decaying from its constant ex- 
posure to dampness. The roof should be tight, and provision made at the bottom 
for drainage so that any water which comes from melting ice may run off freely. 
It is not necessary to use matched lumber, but a space of 12 to 15 inches should 
be left between the ice and the walls, when packing it away, which should be 
filled in with sawdust, and as that settles down, more should be added. Chaff or 
straw cut fine, may be used instead of the sawdust if that is hard to get. As the 
ice melts rather more at the sides than at the top, the house should be rather 

26 



426 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

wide than deep. The best time to cut the ice is as soon in the winter as it is 
frozen sufficiently thick, and before it has been thawed or honeycombed by the 
sun, as happens later in the season. If packed away when the thermometer is 
about zero it can be handled most easily, and keeps best. Put a foot or more 
of sawdust on the floor before packing in any ice. Cut the ice in even blocks, 
and pack it as closely as possible, filling all crevices with sawdust, and when the 
ice is all stored spread 12 or 15 inches of sawdust on the top. Do not allow any 
openings for drafts. The ice will cool the air surrounding it, and if that is carried 
away and warm air comes in to fill its place, it will hasten the melting of the ice; 
also when taking out ice for use. cover the openings which are formed with saw- 
dust, so that none will be left exposed to the air. By this simple plan families in 
the country and villages can lay in a year's supply of ice at a very slight expense. 

Hints About Ice.— Ice should only be cut from clear streams and ponds in 
which the water is fresh and pure. The poisonous properties and living organ- 
isms contained in impure water are not destroyed by freezing, although many 
people erroneously think they are. Much of the ice sold in our cities and towns 
is utterly unfit for drinking purposes because of these contaminations which 
often endanger the health. Always rinse ice well before sending it to the table. 

To Keep Ice. — It is sometimes desirable to keep a small quantity of ice where 
there is no refrigerator. In that case, put the ice on a dish, cover it with a nap- 
kin, set it on a pillow, put another pillow over it, and it can be kept a week or so. 
Or, wrap it up in paper — newspapers are as good as any kind - and then cover it 
with woolen or other cloths. Each time the ice is opened, dry paper should be 
supplied. The sheets can be dried and used over again if desired. Wrapped in 
3 or 4 thicknesses of woolen cloth it will keep for some time if set in a cool 
place. 

To Cut Ice. — Ice may be readily cut by tapping it with a hatchet, or any sharp- 
pointed instrument. An awl will break ice easily, and is much better to use 
than to batter up knives, forks, etc., trying to cut it. When not in use, stick the 
point of the awl into a cork. Ice may be cut into small pieces of any shape by 
merely tapping it with the point of a needle. 

To Keep Ice-Water. — Ice-water may readily be kept a long time by putting 
cotton batting between two thicknesses of paper (use heavy brown paper, or 2 or 3 
sheets of newspaper) and making it into a pail-like covering, large and deep 
enough to set over the pitcher and completely cover it. A cheap and handy ice 
pitcher is thus readily made. 

Freezing Mixtures. — Ice in combination with salt is the best material for 
freezing ices, etc , but when ice is not readily obtained, or when traveling, or for 
cooling water or food in sick rooms, etc., where ice is not readily managed, freez- 
ing mixtures are often very convenient. The following may at times be^useful: 
(1) Thoroughly mix 1 part by weight of muriate of ammonia with 2 parts nitrate 
of potash or saltpetre; next mix and stir well together equal quantities of this 
mixture and finely-crushed washing soda; put them in a freezing machine and 
pour on as much cold water as will dissolve them. (2) Take equal parts of muri- 
ate of ammonia and nitrate of potash; when required for use add more than 
double its weight of water. (3) Use sal-ammoniac, 5 parts; nitrate of potash, 5 
parts; Glaubers' salts, 8 parts; water, 16 parts. With this the thermometer can 
be lowered to 10° P. 

All freezing mixtures have some solid substance which rapidly turns to a liquid, and 
in so doing it absorbs heat from the air or surrounding substances and so lowers their tem- 
perature. It is on this principle that their value depends. 



WELLS, CISTERNS AND , WATER. 

Wells. — An ample supply of pure water is of the first importance to the health 
of any family. In cities and villages there is great danger that the water in wells 
may be contaminated, and even in the country that is a source of danger that 
should be guarded against. As a rule deep wells are safer from contamination 
than shallow ones, but they may be subject to pollution under certain circum- 
stances. As to the least distance between wells and cesspools compatible with 
safety, while the London Local Government Board is satisfied with 20 to 30 yards 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 427 

other authorities insist on 200 yards. It is safe to say that cesspools should be 
as far removed from wells as possible. Frequently in country villages, wells and 
cesspools are so intermixed that the entire bed of water is polluted, and then all 
the wells are unsafe. In isolated houses, if the well and cesspool are some dis- 
tance apart, pollution will depend chiefly on the direction of the movement of the 
underground water. If this movement is from the cesspool toward the well, the 
polluted water will How towards it; if the movement is in the other direction, the 
polluted water will flow away from the well. Hence, before sinking a well where 
sources of contamination are in the vicinity, the direction of the flow of the un- 
derground water should if possible be ascertained. It is not safe to assume that 
this flow is in the direction of the fall of the land. While it is often so, it is not 
always. Generally, however, it would not be wise to have a cesspool higher than 
a well in its neighborhood. Contamination from surface soakage can frequently 
be prevented by raising the top of the well above the adjoining ground, and pav- 
ing the surface round the well with a slope, so that the rain-water runs away 
from it. 

It is best to always have the land around a well slope away from it wherever 
possible. People who throw slops and refuse near a well act with criminal care- 
lessness — rank poison might about as well be put in the water. Don't commit 
suicide that way. A well should always be covered over so as to exclude all 
leaves and flying matter. 

In cities the public authorities should supply wholesome water. The con- 
sumer should see that it is not contaminated on his premises. Boil the water if 
there is doubt about its purity, as boiling kills all disease breeding germs, and is 
the readiest way to insure safety to the health. The water should actively boil 
20 to 30 minutes to be effectual — less than that is not a sufficient safeguard. 

To examine a well or cistern reflect in the sunlight at morning or evening 
with a good-sized looking-glass. If there are any contaminating articles present, 
like leaves, etc., they can be readily discovered in this way, and should be re- 
moved. 

Carbonic Acid Gas or "Choke Damp" in Wells. — This is heavier than air and will 
often collect at the bottom of wells, cisterns, etc. Before entering them a lighted 
candle should be lowered; if it continues to burn no such gases are present; but 
if it goes out, it will be dangerous- for any one to enter until the poisonous gases 
are expelled. To do this, throw down a peck or 2 of unslaked lime; as it slacks 
it will generate heat enough to start an upward current and drive out the foul 
air. Test it again, however, before entering. A few very hot bricks thrown in 
will often answer the same purpose, or some lighted shavings or paper thrown in 
may answer the purpose. 

Recovering Lost Articles. — Any small steel or iron article lost in a well or 
cistern may be recovered by letting down a strong magnet with a cord. 

Cisterns. — The position of a cistern should be carefully chosen. It should be 
where it can be got at, and should be arranged so that the air can get at it to 
ventilate it. It should not be located where it will be exposed to foul odors, nor 
to a steam laden atmosphere. 

Linings for cisterns are numerous. Cast iron cisterns made of plates bolted 
together, if kept full and- not subject to rust, are unobjectionable. Galvanized 
iron linings are attacked by some waters and are not suitable for any cistern from 
which the water will be used for drinking purposes. Sheet lead is sometimes 
used. While it cannot be said that all water drawn from a leaden cistern will 
injuriously affect the health if used for drinking, it is not the best lining to use. 
Some waters attack lead more readily than others. A whitish coating formed on 
the interior of a lead-lined cistern is due to a chemical alteration of its surface, 
and then the contained water may be drunk with more or less impunity. In 
cleaning out a lead-lined cistern never scrape the surface, but merely wash it 
down with a moderately hard brush, because the effort should be not to remove 
this whitish coating, but only to clean it. Zinc is one of the worst linings, and 
should never be used for a cistern containing water that will be used for drink- 
ing. Wooden tanks or barrels should not be employed for storing water any 
where in a house, as they become lined with a low vegetable growth detrimental 
to health. Slate and stone make as good linings as can be devised, but are little 
used because of their weight. A cement lining is nearly as good. A good cement 



428 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

to use is made of 2 parts sand and 1 part hydraulic lime. Mix these together 
first, and then add the water, mixing it as needed, as it begins to harden soon. 
The coating should be an inch thick. 

Cisterns are sometimes built with a brick partition through the center, and 
the water being let into one part filters through into the other. Although this 
does not make a perfect filter, it answers fairly well, but such cisterns should be 
carefully cleaned out from time to time. 

All cisterns should be cleaned at least once a year. 

Do not build cisterns under the house, as the air above them will then always 
be bad, and they cannot readily be cleaned. On no account allow any connection 
between the cistern and any receptacle of filth; water is contaminated too easily. 

Never allow an overflow pipe from a cistern to run to a cesspool or privy vault, 
for gases may thus enter and permeate the water. See what we say elsewhere 
about the absorbability of water. Many lives have been thus lost. Filter or boil 
cistern water before drinking it. 

A wooden pump in a cistern will soon decay, become covered with moss 
and collect filth. The best thing is an iron pipe, with the pump in the kitchen. 

The cheapest of all cisterns are made by setting fire to the inside of kerosene 
barrels; assoon as the kerosene is burned out and the barrel begins to char, turn 
the top down onto the ground to smother the flame. These barrels may be placed 
at the rear of buildings under the eaves. Over each one intended for clean water 
tie a square of cheese-cloth with a sag in the center; this keeps out dirt and mos- 
quitos. After being emptied once or twice, and refilled by the rains, the water 
(after well boiling) will be fit to use for cooking purposes. In a dry time a lit- 
tle water should be left in the barrels to prevent shrinkage. In this way they 
will be sweet and good for years — one known to the writer has been used 20 years. 
(This answers in the country where wood is burned and there is little soot, but is 
hardly adapted to cities.) 

Water. — Testing Water. — The impurities in water for which tests are applied, 
embrace those which affect its character for drinking, cooking and washing pur- 
poses. For cooking and washing, water cannot be too soft. For drinking, how- 
ever, it should be moderately hard, as it supplies much of the lime required in 
building up the bones of the body. The chief evil in drinking water, is the pres- 
ence of organic ferments, by which are meant all contamination from sewers or 
drains, decaying matter, etc. The simplest and easiest method of neutralizing 
these organic ferments is by boiling. All the drinking water should be thus 
treated when such contamination is suspected, for'boiling practically neutralizes 
all organic contaminations by killing all bacteria and spores. 

Heisch. gives a very simple test for the purity of water. He says that good 
water should be free from color, unpleasant odor and flavor, and should afford a 
good lather with a small proportion of soap. If % pint of water be placed in a 
clean, colorless, glass stoppered bottle, a few grains of the best white lump sugar 
added, and the bottle freely exposed to the daylight in the window of a warm 
room, the liquid should not become turbid even after exposure for a week or 10 
days. If, while the stopper remains secure, it becomes turbid, it is open to grave 
suspicion of sewage contamination; while if it remains clear it is almost certainly 
safe for drinking and all domestic purposes. 

Dr. Hagar has proposed a very simple and valuable test for the presence of 
fermentable poisonous matter. It consists in putting a tablespoon of a clear so- 
lution of tannin in a tumbler of the water. If any gelatinous turbidity appears 
within the first hour, the water is unwholesome. If turbidity occurs within 2 
hours the water is not to be recommended. If no turbidity occurs within 5 
hours, the water may be considered good. 

Test for Hard or Soft Water.— Dissolve a small quantity of good soap in alcohol; let a 
few drops fall in a glass of the water. If it turns milky it is hard ; if not it is soft. 

Test for Earthy Matters or Alkali.— (1) Take litmus paper dipped in vinegar, and if , on 
immersion, the paper returns to its true shade the water does not contain earthy matter or 
alkali; otherwise it does. (2) If a few drops of syrup he added to a glass of water contain- 
ing earthy matter, it will turn green. 

Test for Acid.— Put in a piece of litmus paper; if it turns red there must be acid present. 
If it precipitates on adding lime water, it is carbonic acid. If a blue sugar paper is turned 
red, it is a mineral acid, and there would be reason to suspect poisonous metallic salts. 

Test for Carbonic Acid.— Take equal parts of the water to be tested, and clear lime 
water, and pour them together. If combined or free carbonic acid is present, a precipitate 
js seen, in which, if a few drops of muriatic acid is added, an effervescence commences. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 42$ 

!test for Iron.— (1) Boil a little nut-gall, and add to the water. If it turns grey or slate 
color, iron is present. Or, (2) dissolve a little prussiate of potash and add it; if iron is pres- 
ent it will turn blue. 

Test for Lime.— Into a glass of the water put 2 drops of oxalic acid, and hlow upon it; if 
it gets milky, lime is present, 

Test for Magnesia. — Boil the water to one-twentieth part of its weight and then drop a 
few grains of neutral carbonate of ammonia into a glass of it, and a few drops of phosphate 
of soda; if magnesia be present it will fall to the bottom. 

To Soften Hard Water. — Water is said to be hard when it curdles soap. To 
soften hard water there are various methods: (1) Boiling water softens it greatly. 
(2) A little quicklime (2 oz. will answer for 20 or 25 gallons) added to water and 
allowed to stand over night will soften it; the lime unites with the carbonates 
and precipitates to the bottom. (3) Put wood ashes or a gallon of good lye into 
a barrel of water; it will soften the water in 1 night. (4) Ammonia will soften 
water, but is too expensive to use for large quantities. (6) A boiler % full of 
water can be softened by adding 2oz. of sal soda. (6) Dissolve a box of concen- 
trated lye in 1 quart of water; keep it bottled; 1 teaspoon of this will soften half 
a boiler of water. (7) A little borax will soften cistern water hardened by long 
standing. (8) Hard spring water may be softened by adding a little chalk. 

The hardness of water is caused by the presence of certain salts, like those of lime and 
magnesia, sulphate of lime (gypsum) being the most common. When carbonate of soda is 
added it unites with the sulphate of lime, forming carbonate of lime, which settles in solid 
form. 

Water for Cooking. — Draw your water for cooking from the cold water 
faucets — never from the hot water faucets. For either drinking or cooking do 
not use water which runs through zinc lined iron pipes; it will do for washing, 
but that is all. (See what we say elsewhere about galvanized iron ware.) 

To Clarify Rain-water. — When rain-water in a cistern has become dark and 
greasy looking, it may be clarified quite well with powdered alum and borax; % 
lb. of each will answer for 50 barrels or more. The sediment will settle in a few 
hours. 

Charcoal put in a bag and hung in a barrel or cistern of dirty or foul smelling 
water will purify it. 

"Wigglers" in cistern water may be easily cleared out by putting in a few 
small fish (minnows); they will eat the "wigglers," and clear the water. 

To Purify Stagnant Water. — Fit a suitable pipe on a pair of bellows, and 
drive as much air as possible through the water; then allow the water to settle 
and it will be fit for use. 

The Absorbing Power of Water. — Few people realize the absorbing power of 
water. A pail full set in a room, at the ordinary temperature, will absorb 1 pint of 
carbonic acid gas; ice-water will absorb a quart, i. e. twice as much, because when 
very cold its absorbing power is greater. It purifies the air, but it will be readily 
seen that water is not fit to drink after standing for a time in a room. 

To purify the air in a room a pail or pitcher of cold water, changed frequently, 
is a simple and valuable aid, and for the reason stated above. 

Water may be kept cool when you have no ice, by putting it in a jar or tin 
pail, covering it with coarse wet cloths or carpets, and putting it in a cool, shady 
place, where there is a breeze or draft if possible; the rapid evaporation from the 
wet cloths, cools the water by absorbing the heat from it. 

Filtering Water. — An inexpensive domestic filter may be made as follows: 
Take a good common iron pail to the tin-shop and have a hole cut in the 
center of the bottom about 34 inch in diameter, and have a piece of tin about %. 
inch deep soldered around it to form a spout to direct the flow of water in a uni- 
form direction. Obtain some fine stones or pebbles, wash them thoroughly, and 
place them about 2 in. deep at the bottom of the pail. On this put a sheet of 
h.orse-hair cloth or canton flannel, cut to the size of the pail. On this place a 
layer of animal charcoal about 3 or 4 in. thick. Any charcoal is good for this 
purpose, but animal charcoal is much better than wood. It can be bought at 
the druggists. Put in a second sheet of the cloth, and on this put a layer of iron 
filings, borings or turnings, mixed with an equal quantity of fine charcoal. The 
iron filings should be washed in a hot solution of soda or potash before using 
them, to remove oil or other impurities, and then rinse them carefully in clear 
water. The finer they are the better. Have this layer about 6 in. thick. Then 
place another sheet of the cloth, and on it about 2 in. of fine, clean silicious sand, 



i36 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

like that used by glassmakers, and on top of this more cloth, with a few pebbles 
to hold it down and you will have a perfect filter, producing a remarkably pure 
drinking water. Of course a wooden keg may be used in place of the iron pail 
suggested, with a faucet rigged at the. side to draw off the water; but the water 
should filter through slowly to obtain the best results, and the deeper the bed of 
iron filings and charcoal the more speedy their action will be. Any filter what- 
ever will in time become contaminated with the impurities collected from the 
water— the length of time depending on the amount of the impurities. For this 
reason the fillings should be taken out occasionally (say once in 6 or 8 months) 
and the pebbles and sand thoroughly cleaned with boiling water and soda or potash, 
and then rinsed, and the charcoal and iron renewed. Because of failure to do 
this many old filters become so clogged with impurities that they become very 
filthy, and almost worse than none at all. The value of charcoal as a filtering 
material is well known, and the value of the iron consists in the fact that it 
attracts oxygen to its surface, which is changed to ozone^ by which the organic 
matter in the water is consumed. 

Professor Dobroslavine, the chemist, of St. Petersburg, says that if to each 12 
quarts of water there are added 8 grains of per-chloride of iron and 12 grains of 
crystallized carbonate of soda, it will cause a precipitate which will carry down 
all suspended impurities, leaving the water clear at the end of 45 minutes. 

Pure snow when melted produces % its bulk in pure, soft water. 

Pumps and Pipes. — To Prevent the Freezing of Water Pipes. — In the winter 
the best way in cities where hydrants are used is to have a valve arranged so that 
the water can be turned off and the pipes emptied at night. Letting the water 
run slowly prevents freezing, but is wasteful. Where pumps are used a simple 
and effective plan is to take out the lower valve on the approach of winter, and 
drive a tack under it, so arranged that the valve will not close perfectly tight. 
This will not prevent the pump from working, but will allow the water to leak 
back into the cistern or well. The pump will have to be primed on starting it, 
but that is easily done. Another way to prevent the freezing of water pipes is by 
having a small spherical cistern of thin copper attached to the lower part of the 
water pipe, and a gas burner fixed below it. When the gas jet is lighted the cis- 
tern becomes a boiler on a small scale, circulating sufficient warmth through the 
pipes to prevent their freezing. The household may be saved from the winter's 
freezing mishaps by this simple device. 

A frozen pump may be thawed out most quickly by putting a small pipe or 
tube down directly on to the ice, and then pouring in the hot water through this 
pipe. It strikes directly on the ice and thaws it 10 times as fast as it would 
if poured into the pump without the pipe or tube. 

To thaw out frozen pipes the readiest way is to pour hot water on cloths 
laid over the frozen part. The freezing will generally be found to have taken 
place at a bend, or near a window or exposed place. If the pipe is slightly under- 
ground it may be thawed by putting a heap of lime on the earth, wetting it a lit- 
tle, and covering it with blankets; it will draw the frost out of the ground and 
thaw out the water pipes. 

Water pipes which are liable to freeze, as when they run along cold walls, etc., 
will be somewhat protected by wrapping them with some non-conducting mater- 
ial like felt, mineral-wool, asbestos, etc. 

For a leakage in an iron pipe, mix iron filings into a stiff paste with vinegar. 
Dry the pipe and fill the crack with this paste; it will soon harden and stop all 
leakage. It will also securely fasten a thin iron plate over a hole too large to stop 
with the paste alone. For other cements see "Cements." 

To prevent the "fur," i. e. the scale or lining crust which so frequently chokes 
up hot water pipes, dissolve in the water some sal-ammoniac (muriate of ammonia) 
at the rate of 1 oz. to every 60 gallons of water used. Do this twice a year, 
spring and fall, and it will cure the trouble. 

Kinds of Pipe.— Iron water pipes are much better touse than lead. Both oxy- 
dize, but the oxide of lead is poisonous, and the oxide of iron is not. Water for 
drinking should never be allowed to stand in a lead pipe. Tin pipes, or iron 
lined with tin, are the best there ai - e; galvanized iron should never be used, for 
the reason explained elsewhere about galvanized iron ware. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSfi. 431 

ROOFS, DOORS, WALKS, ETC. 

RoofS. — Shingles covered with a wash composed of lime, salt and fine sand or 
wood-ashes, and put on like whitewash, will be very much more safe against fire 
from falling cinders. The wash also preserves against the effect of the weather. 
Old shingles are generally more or less warped and cracked. This application, by 
washing the upper surface, restores them to their original form thus closing the 
space between the shingles, while the lime and sand fills up the cracks and pre- 
vents warping. The older the shingles the more they are benefited. A little 
lamp-black added will make the wash the color of the old shingles and prevent 
the glare of a whitewashed roof. 

New shingles which before being laid are dipped in a wash of lime, and then 
dried, will be much more durable, and moss will not gather on them. 

When felt is not convenient a waterproof roofing may be made from old news- 
papers, by applying coats of hot coal tar to them with a brush, and uniting sev- 
eral thicknesses together. 

Small leaks in roofs may be stopped with one of the waterproof cements given 
among our cements; or take common white lead paint and mix fine sand in it. 

Tin roofs should be kept well painted to preserve them from rust. 

A roofing for outbuildings may be made by boiling tar in an iron kettle, and 
stirring in finely powdered charcoal till it is as thick as mortar. Then spread it 
on a boarded covering to the thickness of 34 inch, and it will become hard and 
durable. 

Doors. — 111 fitting doors which do not shut tightly but have cracks around 
them admitting the air, may be readily remedied as advised for the similar diffi- 
culty with windows (which see). The chalk should be applied to the door, which 
will prevent its adhering to the putty, and all cracks will be effectually closed. 

Hinges which creak may be cured by applying a little oil or mutton tallow, 
or put a little graphite or powdered lead from a soft lead pencil on the spot which 
squeaks. 

Locks which do not work well are often merely rusted; apply a little oil and 
they will be all right. Latches and locks should have a little graphite or oil ap- 
plied occasionally, and they will work more easily. 

Clean plated, handles and hinges on doors by rubbing with a flannel cloth 
wet with kerosene and dipped in whiting; polish with dry flannel. Clean the 
woodwork as explained elsewhere for painted or varnished surfaces. 

Walls. — Brick walls should be hollow. As brick are great absorbers of water, 
if the wall is solid and the plaster laid directly on it the house will be damp in 
spite of a housekeeper's efforts. Never lay the plaster directly on the brick, but 
"furr" it, nail on scantling, and then lath and plaster on that as in a frame house. 

Damp Walls. — If all houses were built as they should be, with hollow walls, 
there would be little complaint of damp walls. A course of slate cemented into 
a wall while building:, as soon as the wall leaves the ground, or just above the 
foun iation, effectually prevents all dampness from rising. It is a usual thing in 
newly built houses for the walls to exude the moisture which has been used in 
making the plaster; this is called "sweating;" wipe the walls dry as often as it 
appears. 

(1) The following simple remedy applied to stone ivalls will prevent all damp 
from entering, and any vegetable substance from growing upon them. Take 1% 
lb. resin, 1 lb. Russian tallow, and 1 quart linseed oil; melt, mix well together, 
and apply hot to the surface of the stone. (2) For brickwork the ''■Builder"' gives 
the following: Take % lb. of mottled soap to the gallon of water; apply it stead- 
ily and carefully with a l*rge flat brush so as not to form a froth or lather; let it 
dry 24 hours. Then mix % lb. of alum with 4 gallons of water; let stand 24 
h rars, and apply it in the same manner over the coating of soap. Do this in dry 
wevther. (3) Perhaps no application is cheaper or more efficacious than the fol- 
lowing: Into a tin or met^lic pail place 1 gallon of benzoline spirit; then melt 
D-£ or 2 lb?, of soft paraffine wax, and when well heated pour it into the spirit, and 
stir. Apply the solution to the walls while warm, with a whitewash brush. To 
prevent the solution from chilling, place the tin in a pail of hot water, but onno 
account bring it near a fire or a serious accident may occur. Whilst this is being 
applied the smell is very disagreeable, but that soon goes off. Hard paraffine wax 
is not so good to use, as the solution has to be kept much hotter, 



4.32 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Walks. — To Kill Weeds. — Gravel walks, pavements or driveways, may be kept 
clear of weeds or grass by making a strong brine of common salt and water; put 
this in an ordinary sprinkling pot and sprinkle it on thoroughly. Do not get any 
on the grass on the side, or that will also be killed. Or a dressing of salt may be 
scattered along the walk or drive instead. It is death to the weeds. 

For garden walks one of the simplest and best things to use is common coal 
ashes. They become hard and make an excellent walk, while grass and weeds 
will not grow on or through them. An artificial asphalt for walks, shed-floors, 
etc., may be made by leveling the place to be covered, and then spreading on a 
thin coat of tar; Over this sift some road-sand or coal ashes; let it harden, and 
repeat the operation 4 or 5 times. 

To hill moss and earth worms in lawns, mix equal quantities of earth or 
leached ashes, and fresh lime (pulverized) and sprinkle it on; it will kill them. 

Lightningrods. — When properly constructed lightningrods have been proved 
beyond question to be a sufficient protection against lightning; when not prop- 
erly constructed they are worse than useless. The essentials are: (1) The rod 
must offer an unbroken conductor from the apex to the ground. The joints are 
best welded together, or screw both ends into one nut. (2) The shorter and more 
direct the course of the rod to the earth the better; bends should be rounded and 
not formed at acute angles. (3) Copper is the best conductor but too expensive. 
Iron is generally used. Galvanizing improves it; or cover it with black paint, 
(itself a good conductor) as a protection against rust. Wire %to %m. in diameter 
will do. (4) The apex should be pointed. A coating of platinum or other non- 
oxidizable metal is an improvement. So is a group of 3 or 4 points. Any black- 
smith can weld the extra points to the main wire. (5) The circle within which the 
rod is effective is generally assumed to be twice the height of the rod; hence on 
large buildings there should be several rods. (6) All metallic roofs, tanks, etc., 
should be in good conducting connection with the rod. So should iron water pipes 
or steam pipes within the building. (7) Fasten the rod securely in place with iron 
eyes or staples. Glass insulators are of little value, as, when wet, they become 
conductors. (8) The earth connection is very important. Nothing is better than 
connection with the iron water pipes in a city. In the country, run it into the 
nearest well. Weld on a copper end to withstand the rust, and let it go to the 
bottom. Never let the rod end in dry earth. Where a well is not convenient 
make a hole 6 in. or more wide, and 9 to 16 feet long, put the rod in the center, 
and pack around it with freshly heated charcoal. It will preserve the wire and 
lead the electricity into the ground. Any blacksmith can put up such a rod. 
The above are all the essentials. All fancy fixings in addition are useless. 



HOUSECLEANING. AND DUSTING. 

Housecleaning time is usually one of terror to all the members of the family — 
to the women who do most of the work, and the men who are made uncomforta- 
ble during the process. If properly managed, however, many of the discomforts 
can be prevented, and the work made much easier. The first thing to do is to 
make ready. Take time for this — a week at least. Provide carpet tacks, soap, 
disinfectants, materials for making whitewash, etc., so that at the last minute 
you will not run out of the very thing you need most, and so lose both time and 
patience. 

Arrange for your help also. Unless it is some one who has helped you before 
and knows your ways it will be better to get a woman a few days in advance, 
so that you can get her broken in a little before the tug of war begins. 

Do not start too early in the spring. Wait until you can let the fires go out 
without discomfort, and until there is settled and pleasant weather. It is much 
easier to clean house during pleasant weather; but no hard and fast rule can be 
laid down about the exact time to commence, as the seasons and circumstances 
vary, and the housewife should adapt herself to the conditions. 

The golden rule in housecleaning is to make it as little burdensome as possi- 
ble; and not to turn the whole house upside down at once. Leave some rooms 
undisturbed while others are being cleaned, so that there will be a place in which 
to live comfortably , and rest in at times, during the whole process of renovation. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 433 

Having made ready and planned for the work, the best time to begin usually is 
on Monday morning. This comes after the Sunday rest, and one feels more like 
beginning a new campaign at that time. Try and do the work, however, on 
pleasant days, when things can be set out doors and well aired, and the windows 
thrown open freely. 

There is no doubt that the orthodox way for cleaning a house is to begin at 
the top and work down, sending all the dirt and dust to the lower regions as the 
work goes on; but this is not always convenient, and it is often best to clean cer- 
tain rooms during the absence of the occupants. We prefer to begin with the 
cellar. That is too often neglected till the last, and then, when all tired out, it is 
hastily and imperfectly done. There is really no room in the house more import- 
ant to the health and well being of the family. Clean out all vegetable mat- 
ter with the utmost care, move boxes, barrels, etc., and clean under them, and 
whitewash the walls, having plenty of copperas in the whitewash used. (See our 
article on the cellar for further hints about its management.) Then go to the 
attic. Ventilate it thoroughly, and remove all papers or other rubbish. Clean 
every part thoroughly, sweeping overhead, and then washing the woodwork, win- 
dows, etc. Go through the miscellaneous collections and throw away or give 
away what you do not need. 

If there are any signs of moths take prompt action. They will probably be 
found in the cracks of the floor. Benzine sprinkled along the cracks and crev- 
ices is sure death to them. The smell will soon evaporate, but on account of its 
great inflammability it must be used with great caution, and never at all near a 
light or Are. Then, having washed the floor (in washing floors in any of the 
upper stories be careful not to let water run through the cracks to injure the 
ceilings below) and cleaned down the steps, you are ready for the bedrooms. If 
the closets are cleaned out first they will be very convenient to store things in 
while cleaning the rooms. If carbolic acid is put in the water used to rinse the 
floors, walls, etc., it will kill all bugs or insects. The smell will soon disappear, 
and it will leave the floor and walls fresh and sweet. In fact, the more general 
use of carbolic acid water would be a great gain to most housekeepers. It is an 
excellent disinfectant. A 5% solution is strong enough for this purpose. Wash 
the floors, etc., first, and then rinse them off with the carbolized water. 

Now clear everything out of the bedroom which can possibly be taken out, 
and have all dust brushed off the tops of doors, windows, ceiling, walls, and every 
possible lurking place, whether there is to be painting, papering, and whitewash- 
ing done or not. Then thoroughly brush and examine the mattresses and beds, and 
move them out of the room. No matter how clean the bedstead may look, take 
it to pieces and examine it carefully. In these days, when people travel and 
visit so much, insect pests may be brought into the cleanest houses, and constant 
watchfulness is necessary. If there is the least sign of the presence of any unwel- 
come visitors, use freely some exterminator which will finish them. It will not 
be enough to treat the bed and the bedstead alone, if their presence is found, for 
they will also infest the baseboards, floor and walls. After taking up the carpets 
it is a good plan to wash the floor with alum, borax or carbolic acid water, and to 
sprinkle powdered alum, borax or cayenne pepper on the floor before putting 
down the carpet, as these are much disliked by moths and will tend to keep them 
away. Lay down the carpet, turn back the edges, and sprinkle whichever you 
use along or under the edge of the carpet; then turn it back and tack it down. 
The same plan can be pursued in other rooms. The best methods of cleaning 
carpets, furniture, pictures, etc., are so fully treated elsewhere that we need not 
further discuss them here. Having cleaned the bedrooms, the halls can be 
cleaned next, and then the parlors, sitting and dining rooms, halls and kitchen. 
The best methods of cleaning all the different articles found in the home are 
fully explained in their appropriate places in these pages,- and the housewife can 
easily refer to those articles for more detailed information. 

Having cleaned the house, the yards and sheds should receive attention. 
Gather up and burn all refuse that will burn, and remove or bury what will not; 
and leave no foul corners untouched. Plow up or disinfect all spots where refuse 
heaps have stood. Sprinkle chloride of lime in all damp places, and dry them out 
if possible. The germs of many diseases may thus be killed, and much sickness 
avoided. 



m ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Finally, do not make yourself sick by overwork. Take some time for rest as 
you go along; plan your work carefully, and then when all is done you will not be 
completely exhausted and worn out. Your own health and comfort during the 
process should be considered, and the work made as easy as possible. 

Dusting. — Where does all the dust come from? is a question frequently asked. 
In all our cities and towns the quantity of dust seems to be unlimited — it seems 
to be an ever increasing product of our civilization. But much of the dust is 
never really gotten rid of. Miss Florence Nightingale has very sensibly remarked 
that "no particle of dust is ever, or can ever be, removed or really got rid of by 
the present way of dusting (with feather dusters). Dusting, in these daj's, means 
nothing but flapping the dust from one part of a room to another, with doors and 
windows closed. What you do it for, I cannot think. You had much better 
leave the dust alone, if you are not going to take it away altogether; for from the 
time the room begins to be a room, up to the time when it ceases to be one, no 
one atom of dust can ever actually leave it thus. To dust, as it is now practiced, 
really means to distribute the dust more evenly over the room." 

A layer of dust is always unwholesome, and when penetrated by dampness 
it ferments, decays and becomes positively poisonous; especially is this true in 
damp weather, and in those rooms not dried out by a good fire. Certainly, for 
both health and comfort, the rooms can not be kept too free from any deposit of 
dust. But this can not be done effectually with the feather duster. Bid fare- 
well to the dear old relic, and supplant it with the damp cloth. Cheese cloth 
makes the best duster. There is a wide meshed kind suitable for the purpose 
which is as soft as silk, and is cheap. It should be so slightly moistened as to 
hold no suggestion of wet, and it will gather up and hold the dirt, not throw it 
out to float in the air and light elsewhere. Go all around the room with this, 
omiting nothing. Wipe over the backs of chairs and table legs, clean out open- 
worked carving, and wipe in all out-of-the-way places. A small paint brush may 
be used to clean out cracks, crevices, etc., and those only. Lift small articles off 
the table and dust under them, instead of wiping around them. Dust the walls 
and ceilings with canton flannel, nap outside, and tied over a broom, or better, 
around the mop of a long handled window brush. 

If the rooms of the house are swept as we have elsewhere explained, and 
dusted in this manner, nine-tenths of the ever troublesome dust will be got rid 
of (exterminated, not scattered) and the rooms will have a delightfully fresh, clean 
and wholesome appearance. It may seem like a little more trouble at first, but 
when the rooms are once cleared from dust there will be no desire to return to 
the old methods. 



THE BEDROOM AND BEDS. 

The Bedroom. — If a house is well built, suitably located, and free from damp- 
ness, a bedroom may be on the ground floor, although as a rule one of the upper 
floors is better. It has been well said that "a bedroom should be deaf to noise, 
and blind to light." It is not always possible to attain this, but it is the object 
to aim at. The glare of a sunny room may be modified by linen curtains, and 
a baize covering to the door will deaden sound. The room should be well venti- 
lated, and yet free from draughts. The windows should open from the top, and 
there should be a fireplace in the room if possible. A painted and varnished wall 
is doubtless the best. It is non-absorbent, and is easily cleaned. If papered, 
let the design be free from any pronounced figures or striking patterns, which, in 
the half-lights of the night or early morning, will suggest to the tired brain weird 
figures or mathematical problems. A bedroom should be light, rather than dark, 
and the furniture and general wood work, such as the doors, wainscoatings, etc., 
should be of light colors. The latter should be varnished so that it can be easily 
washed and cleaned. 

On the ground of health, wood carpeting, or a waxed, or stained and varnished 
wood floor, is doubtless the best. Such a floor is non-absorbent, and can be 
wiped clean every day. Rugs can be placed around, on which to step to relieve 
one from the unpleasant sensation of stepping on a cold floor, and are easily taken 
out and cleaned. Mattings make very desirable floor coverings for bedrooms. 




ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 436 

They are free from dust, can be easily cleaned, and will wear for several years. 
They should be taken up, the floor scrubbed, and the matting cleaned at least 
twice a year. In carpets, light colors and small figures make the most desirable 
patterns for bedrooms. One advantage to a wholly carpeted floor is that the 
carpet tends to keep out draughts, and make the room generally warmer. 

The Bed. — The bedstead should be long enough for a tall person to stretch out 
in comfortably (say Q% feet long) for a short bed is extremely uncomfortable. It 
should be easily taken apart, and the springs so arranged that they can be taken 
Out easily and brushed. The bedstead should not face the window, nor should it 
be exposed to draughts from the chimney. 

The feather bed is both enervating and luxurious. It may do for,.the old and 
infirm, but is not suited to the young and vigorous. A good hair mattress laid 
on elastic springs is the best bed. A light mattress of this kind on the woven 
wire springs, is well exposed to the air, and, hence, the most healthy. Wool mat 
tresses are less expensive than those made of hair, and also not as good. The 
same can be said of Spanish moss. Oat straw and corn husks make good under 
beds, and they are cheap and easily renewed. It is an excellent idea to have 
mattresses entirely covered with slips of unbleached calico which can be taken 
off and washed. Such a cover preserves the tick, and it looks fresh and clean. 
Soft woolen blankets are the best covering for a bed. 

In comforters, those made of delaines are best, with wool quilted in. Cotton 
comforters should be exposed to the sun and air frequently; they are not so good 
as those of wool. All bedding, however, should be regularly and frequently aired. 
Each person in the house should open the window and turn down the bedding 
before leaving his or her room in the morning. This will give the bed a chance 
to air before it is made up — a point of much more importance than many people 
imagine. 

Every bed ought to be well aired every day. Pew people realize the amount 
of effete and poisonous matter thrown off through the pores of the skin by in- 
sensible perspiration. It varies, more being .thrown off during violent exercise 
than when at rest, but from 1%, to 4 or 5 lbs. a day are thus thrown out. This, 
at night, is confined by and partially absorbed in the bed clothes, and the im- 
portance of daily opening out and thoroughly airing the bed clothes so that they 
may be cleared from this poisonous matter should be evident. 

Some mothers teach children to fold up and put away their night-garments 
before leaving the bedroom. A much better plan would be to instruct them to 
spread out those garments so that they would be thoroughly aired. Every 2 or 
3 days the bedding should be taken apart and well aired. Pillows also should be 
shaken up and exposed to the wind. 

To detect dampness in a bed, warm it, and then place a hand-mirror under the 
coverings. If a mist is observable on the mirror, and the vapor is condensed into 
drops, it is a sure sign of the presence of damp. 

No one should ever sleep in a damp bed — it is far better to sit up all night. 
As sleeping in a damp bed so seriously endangers the health, so simple an expe- 
dient as the foregoing for detecting dampness is important to know. 

Spare beds, before being occupied by a guest, or any one else, should be thor- 
oughly aired and dried. Beds left unused for some time, often gather dampness 
which will be dangerous to the health; therefore open up the bed, air it and dry 
it, before allowing it to be occupied. In drying it a jug of hot water or warming 
pan will be useful or better yet, lift it off and place before a good fire, turning it 
several times. Change the sheets also. 

When bedsteads creak at each movement of the occupant, they can usually be 
completely silenced by taking out the slats and wrapping the ends in soft paper. 

Insects.— Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom from those insects so 
troublesome to housekeepers. Every spring the bedstead should be taken to 
pieces and carefully examined to see that no bugs are present. The best methods 
of exterminating them are explained under "Insect Pests." 

Hints.— A well ventilated bedroom at night will cure the difficulty which some 
people have in waking up in the morning, when they struggle, yawn, relapse, and 
find it so hard to wake up. The value of thorough ventilation at night in a bed- 
room can hardly be over-estimated, and the loss without it is always very great. 

A pail of cold fresh water left uncovered in a bedroom at night will absorb 



m ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

all poisonous gases. See what we say about the absorbing power of water else- 
where under "Water." 

Emptying Slop,s. — Slop pails which are neglected soon become foul. An ex- 
cellent rule, adopted by some, is to scrub them out every washday with the soapy 
water left from washing. They should be kept scrupulously clean, and occasion- 
ally washed with chloride of lime or other disinfectant. The lids, as well ae the 
pails, should receive attention, and when not in use should be hung above the 
pail, and not placed on it, thus allowing the pail to ventilate. The one who 
empties the slops should have a jug of hot water in which a little soda has been 
dissolved, and 2 dry cloths — 1 for the basins and 1 for the chambers. The 
chambers should be scalded and dried every day. The cloth used for the purpose 
should be invariably rinsed well after use, and hung in the air to dry. The slop 
pails should be scalded after use, wiped dry, and kept where they can be well 
aired. 

VENTILATION. 

It is only within the last few years that the paramount importance of pure air 
has been understood. The effect of impure air on animals is at once apparent. 
For years the more delicate animals in the British Zoological gardens died 
quickly, it was supposed because of the cold climate. Their cells were then care- 
fully warmed, and to every one's surprise the mortality was even greater than 
before. At last the cells were well ventilated, and the excessive mortality either 
ceased, or greatly diminished. There are 2 objects in ventilation: (1) To get rid 
of the carbonic acid gas exhaled from the lungs, which is poisonous; and, (2) to 
furnish them an abundance of life-supporting oxygen. To be kept in full health 
and vigor each adult individual requires 3,000 cubic feet of fresh air every hour. 
A simple test for the presence of carbonic acid gas is given below, in discuss- 
ing the purity of air. The thing to be aimed at is to change the air steadily 
without creating a draft, for drafts will give rise to colds, rheumatism, etc., but 
far more complaints are caused by insufficient than by over ventilation. 

The attempt to make our houses as nearly air tight as possible in winter, by 
the use of double windows and other devices, is a suicidal policy unless ample 
provision is made for ventilation in other ways. It makes the inmates delicate 
and susceptible to the slightest change. They would be far healthier living as 
our ancestors did in an old log hut. The quality of the air we breathe is quite 
as important as that of the food we eat. 

A great deal more attention ought to be given to this matter of ventilation 
than has been done in the past. In building new houses it should be carefully 
planned for; for the ventilation of old houses we can only offer a few hints. A 
fire in an open fireplace is a fairly good ventilator, and in dwelling rooms, and 
especially in bedrooms, the fireplace should always be left unclosed, and the 
flue or damper open for ventilation. A ready way to ventilate a room is to fasten 
a neat strip of wood an inch or two wide to the window sill, and extending clear 
across the window. Fasten a piece of "weather-strip" on top of this strip, so that 
it will form an air tight joint with the lower sash. In this way the lower sash 
can be raised 1 or 2 inches without letting in any air at the bottom of the win- 
dow, but an opening will be formed at the top between the 2 window sashes 
through which a current of fresh air will flow. If a piece of wood or tin be at- 
tached to the top of the upper sash, sloping upwards,. the current will be directed 
toward the ceiling, whence it will diffuse itself through the room. To ventilate 
a room do not rely on getting the air from halls or other rooms, but introduce it 
directly from the outside. 

A ready way to ventilate rooms which are much occupied, is to open the win- 
dows during the meal time, and before they are needed again they can be re- 
warmed. The improvement in the air will be very noticeable. 

Have the bedroom well ventilated always, and if no other provision is made 
leave the window down 2 or 3 inches at the top. Place the bed where the draft 
will not strike it, and if there is more than one window open the one the farthest 
from the bed. If necessary, the curtains may be drawn to prevent the draft from 
striking the bed. More air will be needed when several people occupy the same 
apartment than when there is only one. If in the morning the room smells close 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 437 

to any one who steps into it from the fresh outside air, it is a good practical test 
that the ventilation is insufficient; but if no smell is perceptible the ventilation 
is good. On completing the morning ablutions throw the window wide open and 
leave it so, to thoroughly ventilate the room. 

Importance of Sunlight. — Another important matter is to admit the sunlight, 
floods of it, into all the rooms of the house if possible. Even if it fades the car- 
pets, a little of that is better than to shut it out and have the cheeks of the children 
fade. An abundance of fresh air and sunlight will save many a doctor's bill, and 
what is vastly more important, they will preserve the health of the family. 

Cooling the Air. — In hot weather wetting a cloth and hanging it in the window 
over the blind will cool and freshen the air greatly — almost as much as a shower. 
A large sponge hung in a room and kept continually wet will also cool the air, 
either in the day or night. 

Impurities in the Air. — The principal contaminations of air are the presence 
of poisonous gases due to sewers, etc., and the presence of carbonic acid gas in 
excess. Wholesome air does not contain above 5 volumes of carbonic acid in 
10,000; as the proportion increases the quality of the air deteriorates, until it 
becomes positively poisonous. Tests. The simplest method of testing the amount 
of carbonic acid present in the air is by using lime-water. This can be obtained 
of any druggist, but should be freshly made. When this lime-water is shaken 
up in a bottle of air containing carbonic acid, the acid combines with the lime, 
forming an insoluble powder of carbonate of lime, and when this is in sufficient 
quantity it makes the water turbid or milky, so that it can be recognized by the 
eye. The test is made by having a series of bottles of various sizes, filling them 
with the air to be tested, placing a large tablespoon of the lime-water in each 
one, corking tightly, and then shaking them vigorously for 3 or 4 minutes, so 
that all the air in the bottle shall be brought in contact with the lime-water, and 
all the carbonic acid taken up by the lime. In bottles of large size the fluid will 
become dense, while in those of small size it will remain clear. If a 10 oz. bottle, 
thus shaken becomes turbid it indicates the presence of more than 6 volumes of 
carbonic acid per 10,000 of air; while turbidity in an 8 oz. bottle indicates more 
than 8 volumes; in a 6 oz. bottle more than 11 volumes; and in a 4 oz. bottle 
more than 15 volumes. Anything over 5 volumes should be corrected. There is 
no test paper which can be made practically useful to indicate the quantity of 
carbonic acid in the air. 

Pure air is so very essential to health that impure air should never be 
breathed when possible to avoid it. 

Seiver gas is usually manifested by its peculiar cabbage like odor. The follow- 
ing is, however, a ready test for it: Saturate unglazed or blotting paper with a 
solution made of 1 oz. pure lead acetate, in 3^ pint of rain water; let it partially 
dry and then expose it in the room suspected of containing sewer gas. The test 
paper will be blackened if any considerable quantity is present. Never neglect 
escaping sewer gas; if present, find the leak and stop it at once. For a test for 
leaking sewer pipes see "Sinks and Drains." 



DISINFECTANTS AND DEODORIZERS- 

The importance and value of disinfection is becoming more apparent every 
year, and all housekeepers should know something about the various articles 
employed for this purpose, their value, and the uses to which they are adapted. 
We mention below the more important ones and explain their different merits. 
It should be remembered, however, that nothing will take the place of those best 
of all disinfectants, sunlight, fresh air, soap and water, and perfect cleanliness. 
Popularly the word disinfectant is used in a very loose way. Any articles which 
destroy bad odors, or which arrest decomposition or putrefaction are generally 
called disinfectants, and are often ignorantly used to destroy the disease germs 
of small-pox, cholera, etc. It should be understood that many valuable deodor- 
izers and antiseptics are utterly valuless for destroying disease germs. Strictly 
speaking disinfectants are agents which destroy the germs of communicable 
diseases, such as cholera, small -pox, etc. Antiseptics are drugs, which destroy 
low forms of life like the bacteria which cause decomposition. Deodorizers or 
deodorants are agents which destroy disagreeable smells merely. 



438 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Among the best of the true disinfectants are fire; boiling water; steam (it 
should have at least 25 lbs. pressure); a solution of chloride of lime; bichloride 
of mercury (corrosive sublimate); a solution of chlorinated soda (Labarraque's 
solution). Others which are useful where spores are absent are dry heat (as 
high as 240° F.); chloride of zinc; sulphate of copper; carbolic acid. Remember 
in using any disinfectant that the time of exposure to its action is important, so 
allow it time to work 

Heat and Steam. Heat is a powerful disinfectant. Fire, of course, destroys 
all germs, and articles of small value are often best burned when soiled with infec- 
tious material. Steam unconfined is the same as boiling water (212°), but under- 
pressure it is much higher, being 240° F. at 25 lbs. pressure, and 250° at 30 lbs. press- 
ure. Exposure for 30 minutes to steam at 25 lbs. pressure will destroy all known 
germs. Dry heat penetrates slowly into bulky articles such as bedding, mat- 
tresses, etc. If spores are present heat enough to injure woolen fabrics is 
needed to kill them; if they are absent, a 2 hours' exposure to a dry heat of 230° 
F. is effectual. A suitable oven is needed. Steam is suitable for articles like 
blankets, carpets, clothing, etc., which will not bear boiling, but is not suited for 
articles like leather, etc., which are injured by moisture. 

Boiling in water for ~% hour will destroy the vitality of all known disease 
germs. It is therefore the best means for disinfecting all articles which can be 
thus treated, such as bed-clothes, towels, the body clothing of the sick, etc. If 
there are no facilities for treating articles with boiling water in the sickroom, 
they may with safety be removed to another part of the house for this treatment 
if they are first carefully enveloped in a towel or sheet, as the case may require, 
which has been thoroughly soaked with carbolic acid solution. Thus enveloped, 
they should be put in the water, and boiled for % hour. 

Carbolic Acid. — This is one of the best known disinfectants. It is made from 
coal-tar. It is really a solid, but the least addition of water liquifies it. The gen- 
uine acid is easily recognized by its powerful and characteristic odor. For dis- 
infecting cellars, sewers, sinks, water-closets, etc., use 1 oz. of the acid to a gallon 
of water. For steeping clothes and general disinfecting purposes it is excellent. 
For such articles 1 part in 20 of water will answer. Dr. Koch gives it the first 
place for disinfecting clothing, excreta, etc., in cholera. A 1% or 2% solution is 
effective for many germs. Carbolic acid soap is well adapted for disinfecting 
the hands. The only objections to carbolic acid are that its odor is not very 
pleasant, and that it is a deadly poison. It is also somewhat more expensive than 
some of the other disinfectants. Carbolic acid when combined with water and 
boiled, evaporates with the steain in a constant ratio, the steam containing the 
same relative quantity of the acid as the water from which it evaporates. 

Charcoal. — This is useful within limits. It absorbs impure gases, and also 
oxygen which decomposes them. It is not volatile and cannot go to the smells — 
they must come to it — and it cannot penetrate every nook and corner as a good 
disinfectant should do. It can only absorb a limited amount of gas, and after a 
time it must be removed and fresh supplied; or it may be purified by heating in 
an oven. It preserves meat and poultry, makes a good tooth-powder, is given for 
indigestion, and is also used as a poultice for foul ulcers. It is a useful article to 
keep in the house. 

Chloride of Lime (also called Bleaching Powder). — This is one of the cheap- 
est and best disinfectants. For urinals, drains, closets, etc., there is nothing 
better. The right strength for use in sinks, closets, etc., is 1 lb. to a gallon of 
water. For steeping linen 1 oz. to the gallon is strong enough, and even in this 
weak solution the linen must not be left long. It decomposes on coming in con- 
tact with organic matter, and as a disinfectant it acts by giving off chlorine gas, 
which destroys all known germs. The smell is not pleasant, although many peo- 
ple do not dislike it. The powder is also scattered about freely where required 
in yards, etc., but as the octor will ruin the flavor of foods it must be used cau- 
tiously about the house, especially in the cellar, larder, etc., where food is stored. 
A mixture of 1 part chloride of lime with 8 parts dry sand answers well for cess- 
pools, etc. To make an effective disinfectant it should be of the best quality. 
When purchasing, accept only that which is inclosed in glass bottles, as, when 
packed in paper or wooden boxes it is liable to have so deteriorated as to be 
worthless for disinfecting purposes, Dissolved in water (8 oz.to 1 gal.) it may be 






ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 439 

used in disinfecting discharges in contagious diseases, especially in typhoid fever 
and cholera; 1 quart should be mixed with each discharge (it will be best to put 
it in the vessel before it receives the discharges); after 30 minutes, disinfection is 
completed, and the contents may be thrown into the water-closet; the expectora- 
tions of those sick with consumption may be discharged into a cup half filled 
with this, or carbolic acid solution. 

A home-made chloride of lime maybe prepared by dissolving a bushel of salt 
in a barrel of water; then slack a barrel of lime withth.s salt water — it should be 
thick enough to form a kind of paste. This will answer for disinfecting purposes 
about as well as that bought at the stores, and may be used freely about cellars, 
sinks, outhouses, etc. 

Chloride of Zinc. — This is the basis of Burnettes' Disinfecting fluid. It is 
poisonous, but is a well-known disinfectant and deodorizer. It is not expensive. 
The strength for general use is about a wineglassful to 2% quarts of water. It 
is useful for chamber utensils, water-closets, etc. Its powers for destroying dis- 
ease germs has been much overestimated, although it has been extensively used 
in Europe and America. It is a valuable antiseptic and deodorizer. 

Condy's Fluid. — This is an old disinfectant which has been on the market for 
years. There are 2 kinds, the crimson and the green. The crimson is best. It 
needs to be used in large quantities and is somewhat expensive. It stains linen, 
but the stains may be removed by steeping the articles, before they get dry, in 
water containing 1 oz. of sorrel to the pint. It is made from permanganate of 
potassium. By dissolving 1 oz. of permanganate of potassium in 1 quart of 
.. water, a stronger disinfectant is obtained at a less price. It is a powerful oxydiz- 
ing agent, and is used in fevers, etc. 

Corrosive Sublimate (called also Perchloride or Bichloride of Mercury and 
Mercuric Chloride). — This is a most valuable disinfectant, the greatest objection 
to its use being that it is extremely poisonous. It decomposes on contact with 
tin, copper, or lead. It is colorless and odorless, and if kept on hand it should be 
plainly labeled, and it will be a good plan to color it by adding indigo or analine 
blue. It coagulates albuminous materials, which somewhat interferes with its 
value as a disinfectant. 

The concentrated solution has 4 oz. mercury to 1 gallon of water. It has much 
potency at 1 part sublimate to 500 parts water, or even at 4000 parts water. An 
excellent solution for general use is 34 lb. corrosive sublimate and 1 lb. sulphate of 
copper to 1 gallon of water. This we will call "Solution 1." For excremental 
discharges put 1 lb. (i. e., 2 cups) of "solution 1" in a gallon of water, and use 1 
quart of this for each discharge, putting it in the vessel before the discharge takes 
place, and letting it stand 2 hours before emptying. Privy vaults which contain 
so much material, believed to be infected with the germs of typhoid fever or 
cholera, that the disinfection by chloride of lime would be impracticable, may be 
disinfected by using 1 oz. of sublimate to 1 gallon of water, which will disinfect 
4 gallons of infected excremental matter. 

The time of contact is important, so let it act for 2 or 3 hours. It is an anti- 
septic at 1 part sublimate to 15,000 parts water. Corrosive sublimate if allowed 
to come in contact with lead pipes will make them brittle and worthless. It 
should be kept in glass or glazed vessels. 

Sanitas. — This is a disinfectant made by the action of super-heated steam on 
turpentine. It is largely used on board ship and is popular on account of its 
pleasant odor. It is not very powerful, and must be used in large quantities. 

Solution of Chlorinated Soda. — This to be effective should contain at least 3% 
of available chlorine. When exposed to the air it evolves chlorine, to which cir- 
cumstance its special value is due. It is sometimes spoken of as Labarraque's 
solution. If 1 part of the solution of chlorinated soda is added to 5 parts water 
it makes a standard solution, and may be used for the same purposes as chloride 
of lime; its odor is somewhat pleasanter although it is more expensive. It may 
be used to cleanse portions of the body soiled with discharges of those sick with 
contagious diseases, or the hands of attendants similarly soiled. It does not 
keep well, so it should be fresh when used. 

Sulphate of Copper (also called Blue Vitriol). — This is not so good a disinfect- 
ant as bichloride of mercury, but it is a better deodorant. A 10% solution is 
valuable for destroying micro-organisms where spores are absent. 



440 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Sulphate of Iron (or Green Copperas).— The right strength for ordinary pur- 
poses is 1 lb. to a gallon of water. A mixture of sulphate of iron and sulphate of 
zinc is sold under the name of Lamande's Mixture. Strictly speaking sulphate 
of iron is not a disinfectant as it will not destroy the vitality of disease germs, 
but it is a valuable antiseptic and arrests putrefactive decomposition. It is 
cheap and is valuable for sinks, drains, closets, etc. Copperas is not an effective 
remedy against the spread of contagious diseases, like true disinfectants, its 
most valuable applications being those already indicated. 

Sulphate of Zinc. — This is commonly called white vitriol, and is obtained by 
dissolving zinc in dilute sulphuric acid. For purposes of disinfection dissolve 1% 
lbs. of the sulphate of zinc and % lb. of common salt in 6 gallons of water. Use- 
ful for water-closets, etc. 

Sulphurous Acid Ctas (also called Sulphur Dioxide). — This is a useful disin- 
fectant and is always available. It is made by burning sulphur. Its disinfecting 
power is much increased by the presence of moisture. A room or a house may 
be filled with the gas so that every article is subject to its influence. It escapes 
more readily than is generally supposed, through every crack and crevice, and in- 
fectious material enclosed in bundles, or protected by the folds of blankets, etc., 
may escape disinfection unless care is taken. It quickly rusts brass and iron 
work and tarnishes picture frames, silverware, etc., but this can be guarded 
against by removing them from the room. It is valuable for disinfecting after 
smallpox, scarlet fever, yellow fever, diphtheria, etc. 

Thymol. — This is a comparatively new antiseptic obtained from the juice of 
several aromatic plants, and its odor is pleasant. It is sold in crystals which are 
freely soluble in water, or the spirits of thymol may be bought. It is very active, 
may be used for the same disinfectant purposes as carbolic acid, and is quite as 
effective, and its pleasant odor commends it. Use about 1 teaspoon of the spirits 
of thymol to 2 quarts of water. 

A Saturated Solution of Chloride of Lead. — This makes an excellent anti- 
septic and deodorant, and may easily be prepared as follows: Dissolve % drachm 
of nitrate of lead in 1 pint of boiling water ; also dissolve 2 drachms of common 
salt in a pail of cold water; when dissolved, mix the 2 together; when settled, a 
pail of clear fluid will remain. It is without smell, and may be used to disinfect 
water-closets, heaps of refuse, drains, sinks, decaying and offensive objects, etc.; 
the fetid atmosphere in a room may be sweetened at once by hanging up cloths 
saturated with the solution. If used hot the mixture is more active. It is quite 
cheap, as a number of barrels of the solution may be prepared from a single 
pound of the nitrate. 

Privies, Yards, Etc. — Eckstein, after extensive experiments, found that the 
most effective disinfectant for urinals, privies, etc., was chloride of lime (bleach- 
ing powder). Its odor is unpleasant to many, and for common use (when conta- 
gious diseases are not present) copperas or carbolic acid answer well. Cellars, 
yards, stables, gutters, privies, cesspools, water-closets, drains, sewers, etc., should 
be frequently and liberally treated with chloride of lime or copperas (sulphate of 
iron) solution. Another good solution for this purpose is the chloride of lead 
previously mentioned. After contagious diseases like typhoid fever, cholera, etc., 
use chloride of lime or bichloride of mercury, as at such times the most powerful 
disinfectants should be used. 

The best way to disinfect a room after any contagious disease, is to burn sul- 
phur. Mix equal quantities of sulphur and charcoal, and paste strips of 
paper over all key holes and cracks about the doors, windows, etc. Put 
a dish-pan on the floor, a plate in the pan, and on this set a kettle containing the 
sulphur mixture. Use about 6 lbs. for a room 12x15 feet, and 10 feet high, and 
in that ratio for other sized rooms. If too little sulphur is used it will do no 
good. Then fill the pan half full of water, pour about 3 oz. of alcohol over the 
sulphur, set fire to it, and get out of the room at once, closing the door tightly. 
Leave it closed 24 hours; the burning sulphur generates sulphurous acid gas, 
which is a powerful disinfectant. Then open the room and air it 24 hours, and 
the windows should be left open as much as possible for a week or two. It will 
be best to repaint the woodwork, and repaper or kalsomine the walls. Wash the 
woodwork of furniture, etc., with a 2 per cent, solution of chloride of lime or 
carbolic acid, 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 441 

If the carpet was left on the floor during the illness it should remain until 
after the fumigation; then take it up, beat it, and leave it out of doors for a week 
of two. Those who wish to be on the safe side can repeat the fumigation a 
second time. 

For disinfecting clothing, bedding, etc., during an attack of a contagious 
disease, or after recovery, the following suggestions are offered: Articles of little 
value should be destroyed by tire. All clothing, bedding, etc., which can be 
boiled in water should be so treated for 1 hour. Other articles may be immersed 
in a solution of 2 ounces (= 1 wineglass) of corrosive sublimate "solution 1" (see 
corrosive sublimate) in 1 gallon of water, which does not injure cloth. Garments 
of wool, silk, etc., which would be injured by immersion in boiling water or a 
disinfecting solution, may be exposed to dry heat at a temperature of 230° F. for 
2 hours, or exposed to the fumes of steam under pressure as previously explained. 
The ticking of beds and pillows should be dipped in the bichloride of mercury 
solution and then thoroughly boiled. All straw, husk, or excelsior filling should 
be burned. A filling of hair or feathers should be thoroughly baked in an oven 
or destroyed by fire. Articles exposed to dry heat or steam should be spread out 
so that all parts can be readily penetrated. Articles of wood, leather, porcelain 
or metal may be washed several times in a 3% solution of carbolic acid, or a 2% 
solution of chloride of lime. 

The hands and general surface of the body of the attendants and of convales- 
cents may be washed with Labarraque's solution, or with a 2% solution of carbolic 
acid. The excreta or discharges from the patient should be treated with 1 quart 
of a 5% solution of chloride of lime or a 5% solution of carbolic acid, or use cor- 
rosive sublimate "solution 1" in the cases and as explained in our previous section 
on that disinfectant. Articles which are to be disinfected by fire or boiling 
outside of the room should be wrapped in a sheet soaked with a solution of car- 
bolic acid and thus conveyed to the place of disinfection. During an illness, or 
on recovery, the body of a patient may be sponged (with the physician's approval) 
with a solution of 1 part chlorinated soda in 20 parts water, which will aid in 
preventing the escape from the body of infectious material. It will be a good 
idea to daily wipe off all surfaces (furniture, walls and floor) with a cloth moist- 
ened with a 2% solution of chloride of lime or carbolic acid. 

Deodorizers. — These should not be confounded with disinfectants, but in the 
minds of many people the difference is not clearly understood. Deodorizers 
merely mask odors by using perfumes, etc., but they do not destroy the poisonous 
effluvia and disease germs. Unpleasant odors may be masked by burning sugar, 
resin or vinegar. Every housewife has seen rags and paper burned for this pur- 
pose. Carbolic acid sprinkled about, or exposed in saucers or open vessels, acts 
as both deodorizer and disinfectant, and so does the saturated solution of chloride 
of lead. "Florida Water" is refreshing in a sickroom, but it has no very active 
disinfecting properties. Pinol, sprayed through an atomizer, is a fair aerial 
disinfectant, having an agreeable odor. 

The fumes of newly roasted coffee is one of the best things with which to 
mask unpleasant odors. Even musk, asafoetida and castoreum, may be overcome 
with it. Place a few ounces of whole coffee in an iron pan over the fire, or on a 
shovel of coals, and while the fumes are rising carry it around the room; it is 
effectual. 

A good deodorizer for a sickroom is vinegar boiled with myrrh; sprinkle it 
on the floor and furniture. Another is to place in a saucer a little coffee freshly 
ground; put a piece of camphor gum in the center and set fire to it, letting both 
coffee and camphor burn together. This is both cheaper, and better than pastiles. 



FLOORS AND FLOOR COVERINGS. 

Wood Floors.— Paints like yellow ochre, sienna, Venetian or Indian red, which 
contain mineral colors alone, without any white lead, are the best to use on floors, 
and the common practice of painting kitchen floors with yellow ochre, raw umber 
or sienna is a very wise one. Although they have little body, as compared with 
white lead paints, and several coats are needed, such paints make an excellent 
and durable covering. Any color containing white lead is injurious to wood 

27 



m ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

floors, making them softer and more quickly worn away. Any varnish made by 
drying lead salts, when applied to a wood floor is nearly as injurious as lead 
paint. 

Cleaning White Board Floors. — To keep boards white it is necessary to wash 
them properly. Very often boards which are unpleasantly dark have had a good 
deal of work bestowed on them, but it has not been applied right. The method 
adopted is quite as important as the material used for scrubbing boards. It is 
not only necessary to scrub the dirt out of the wood, but it is quite as important 
to remove the dirt thus loosened; and for this, plenty of clean water is required. 
To loosen the dirt and then rub it in again by wiping with a nearly dry cloth, is 
a great waste of effort. Flannel is best to use because it takes up the dirt, which 
cotton does not. Remember, then, that to rinse thoroughly, and 2 or 3 times if 
necessary, is, if anything, even more important than to scrub well. The great 
secret of floor washing is to do a little at a time, change the water often, and use 
plenty of it; then dry the floor with a flannel cloth. Sweep the floor, of course, 
before washing it. 

Removing Stains. — The following, if applied as directed, will take out stains: 
Take some clean, sifted, white or silver sand, and scatter it on the floor. Dissolve 
1 lb. of potash in 1 pint of water, and sprinkle the sand with the solution. Have 
a pail of very hot water, and well scrub the boards lengthwise with a hard brush, 
and use the best mottled soap. Change the water frequently. 

The frequent use of soap on wood floors, or any articles of wood, darkens 
them and spoils their color. A mixture of 1 part newly slacked lime, and 3 parts 
common white sand, is cheaper and much better than soap. It will remove 
grease, whiten the boards, and destroy all insects. Rinse well with clean water 
afterwards. In washing boards never rub crossways, but always up and down 
with the grain. 

Sand will roughen boards on which it is used unless it is very fine. For this 
reason fine wood ashes sifted through a cheese-cloth bag is better. Soda keeps 
wood whiter than soap, and is therefore better to use as a rule. 

Floors which are in bad condition may be washed with the following: Put 
into a sauce-pan 1 lb. soft soap, 1 lb. of fuller's earth, 1 lb. of soda, and 2 quarts 
of water. Boil all down together to % the quantity. Scrub well with it, and 
rinse thoroughly after scrubbing. 

To Clean and Restore Wood Floors. — The following will be found useful in 
cleaning and restoring color to wooden floors: Allow 1 part calcinated soda to 
stand % hour in 1 part slacked lime; then add 15 parts water, and boil. Spread 
the solution thus obtained upon the floor with a rag, and after drying, rub with 
a hard brush and fine sand and water. A solution of 1 part concentrated sul- 
phuric acid and 8 parts water will enliven the wood after the first application. 
When dry, wash the floor, and wax it if desired. 

For Scrubbing White Floors, one of the best sands (possibly the best) is to 
heat marble chippings red hot in the fire; then let them cool and pound them 
very fine. 

Unpainted dining-room floors, etc., can be freshened and cleaned nicely by 
rubbing with fine dry sand, or with sawdust, which is better, as described further 
on for using sawdust. 

A smooth hard-wood dining-room floor may be kept in condition by rubbing 
or dusting it every day with a woolen cloth; if it is fastened to a long handle like 
a mop, it will be easier, as it will save stooping. Lint is very apt to be left by 
linen or cotton cloths. Then give it a dry sawdust rub once a week. 

Hot grease spilled on a wood floor should have cold water thrown on it at 
once, to harden it and prevent its striking into the wood. 

For musty floors, take an old broom and scrub on a strong hot solution of 
chloride of lime. First scrub them clean, however, before applying the solu- 
tion. 

Marks of whitewash can be removed by scrubbing well with soap and water. 
For grease or oil stains take 34 lb. fuller's earth and 34 lb. pearlash, and 
make a paste with about 1 quart boiling water; while hot, spread it on the 
greased surface, allowing it to remain 10 or 15 hours or more. Then scour off 
with clean water, using sand if necessary. If the grease stains are very numer- 
ous, and the floor very dirty, it may be spread all over the floor, and left on 2i 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 443 

hours before washing off. Or, old grease stains may be softened by soaking them 
with turpentine, and then scraped off. 

Ink spots on floors may be removed by scouring them well with sand wet 
with water, and a little oil of vitriol added. Then rinse them with strong salera- 
tus water, or pearlash water. Ink stains may be removed from unpainted boards 
or wood by using either strong vinegar or salts of lemon. Or, dissolve some oxalic 
acid in % pint of hot water; apply with a rag, tied to a stick; wash off afterwards 
with soda, soap and water. This will remove many other stains also. A paste of 
damp chloride of lime will remove ink stains from boards. 

Soot stains on a wooden floor or boards can be removed by washing the spot 
in sulphuric acid and water. 

To Stop Cracks in Floors. — (1) Make a paste of 6 quarts of water, 2 lbs. of 
flour, and 2 tablespoons of alum; boil and mix thoroughly, and then soak news- 
papers thoroughly in the paste until -it is all about the consistency of putty. 
Force it into the cracks with a suitable knife. It will harden nicely, and be neat 
and permanent. (2) Dissolve 1 part glue in 16 parts water, and when almost 
cool stir in a sufficient quantity of sawdust and prepared chalk. (3) Mix plaster 
of Paris to a paste with water in which glue has been dissolved, as that prevents 
it from cracking and falling between the boards. It can be colored to match 
the boards if liked. Mix but little at a time, and keep it warm while using. (4) 
Use putty. 

Waxed Floors.— Never use water on waxed floors. Before waxing, if there 
are any spots remove them with turpentine or benzine; then wipe perfectly clean 
with a dry cloth, and apply the preparation of wax, putting on very little, or else 
it will be sticky. Apply it with a flannel cloth and then rub until it shines like 
varnish, rubbing with rough flannel or Brussels carpet. With reasonable usage 
it should then last several months. Any little spot which becomes dim should 
be rubbed up with flannel. 

Well polished wax floors can be rubbed off every morning with a large flan- 
nel cloth, which is soaked in kerosene oil every 10 days or 2 weeks. Shake the 
cloth free from dust, and using a stubby broom or scrubbing brush, rub rapidly 
up and down with the grain — not across it; the floor will soon assume a polished 
appearance which dirt and footprints do not easily deface. 

Waxed floors which seem sticky and dirty after many waxings and long use 
should be cleaned with turpentine, but never use water on a waxed floor. 

Stained floors should be dusted every day, and if desired the preparation of 
beeswax and turpentine (given further on) can be applied to them, and then they 
should be treated like any waxed floor. 

Cleaning with Sawdust. — If stained or painted floors are washed with water 
the gloss will soon be injured, besides which more or less moisture is apt to soak 
in, to their further detriment. It is better to scrub them with dry sawdust. Use 
that which is dry and clean. Scatter it over a space about a yard square, and 
then scrub it with a new, stiff scrubbing brush, the same as would be done with 
water. Use more sawdust and extra rubbing for spots unusually soiled. When 
the whole floor is gone over sweep up and burn the sawdust, and then dust the 
floor before laying down mats or rugs. Unpainted or even varnished floors may 
be treated the same way to advantage. 

For Waxing Floors. — Melt 8 oz. beeswax in 1 quart turpentine; as the latter 
is very inflammable it must be warmed over a slow fire, free from blaze. Apply 
with clean flannel; then polish with another dry and clean piece. 

A Wax Floor Polish. — Take 12% lbs. yellow wax, rasped, and 6 lbs. pearlash, 
and boil them in water. Stir well, and when effervescence ceases, add 6 lbs. dry 
yellow ochre; then pour all into a tin. For use, add 5 pints boiling water; stir 
well, and apply while hot; polish afterwards with a large brush, and wipe with a 
coarse woolen cloth. — '•'■Decorator and Furnisher." 

A Hard Wood Polish.— Take 1 pint of turpentine, 5 oz. powdered resin, and 
24 oz. yellow beeswax. Put them in a pan, set them in a larger pan of hot water, 
and melt, stirring well till thoroughly mixed. Manage carefully as they are very 
inflammable. Let it get cold, and if thicker than cream thin down with turpen- 
tine. Apply it with a woolen cloth (having the floor clean and dry) and then rub 
hard with a polishing brush. Finish with soft green baize. 

A Floor Varnish. — Take % lb. of pure white borate of manganese finely pov;- 



444 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

dered, and add it little by little to a pan containing 2% lbs. of linseed oil; it must 
be well stirred and raised to a temperature of 360° Fahr. Heat 25 lbs. of linseed 
oil in a boiler till ebullition takes place; then add it to the first liquid, increase 
the heat, and allow it to boil for 20 minutes. Remove from the fire, and filter the 
solution through a piece of calico. The varnish is then ready for use; 2 coats 
may be applied. Add a final coat of shellac varnish if a brilliant polish is desired. 
Make % the quantity the same way. 

A black varnish for wood may be prepared by taking good varnish and 
mixing in enough ivory black to color it; lay on a thin even coat. Clean it any 
time by wiping with a woolen cloth dipped in warm water. 

Stains for Floors.— A kitchen floor may be stained by taking a lye made from 
wood ashes and adding enough copperas to give it an oak shade; apply with a 
brush, and when dry varnish the floor. Or oil the floor with boiled linseed oil, 
applied with a paint brush; when dry, varnish it. To clean such a floor is much 
easier than a white one. 

A general stain for floors, the color of which can be varied at will, can be pre- 
pared as follows: Take 2 parts linseed oil (unboiled) and mix in 1 part turpen- 
tine; add a little Japan dryer. This is the foundation, to which add any of the 
pigments hereafter given to produce the color desired. Stir in enough of the 
selected pigment to make the whole about as thick as syrup; set it over a mod- 
erate fire and bring it to a boil; then, for each quart of the mixture take a lump 
of yellow beeswax the size of a walnut, and, having melted it, stir it in well; then 
take from the fire; let it cool 10 minutes, and thin till it runs freely, with turpen- 
tine. Lay it on with a good-sized brush, making the strokes the way the grain 
runs, and apply it freely. When it is thoroughly dry, varnish the floor, adding a 
gill of unboiled linseed oil to the quart of varnish. Polish afterwards at any time 
with turpentine and beeswax mixed. A little over a quart of the above mixture 
will be needed for each 16 square yards of floor. The process is neither difficult 
nor expensive, and any lady can easily apply it, with a little practice. 

The great secret of staining is to properly thin the stain and apply it evenly 
with a brush. Try a color on a piece of plain board before using it, to make sure 
the shade is right. Soft woods take a deeper color than hard. Of the pigments 
which may be used to color the above mixture, Vandyke brown or burnt umber 
will make a black walnut stain. Burnt sienna makes an almost perfect mahog- 
any stain if properly thinned. For cherry, combine red oxide of lead and burnt 
sienna. Raw umber makes a good stain for floors, especially for white pine. Raw 
sienna makes a yellow stain. In fact the shades can be combined and varied at 
pleasure, and several colors can be applied to a single floor, working out figures 
and pretty designs if desired. 

Sizing for Stained Floors.— Take % quart of cold water and 1 lb. size, and 
heat gently till it melts. Do not apply till the stain is fully dry; then use a flat 
brush to lay it on with. Add a little warm water if it froths while being applied. 
Do not cover with varnish till fully dry. If you varnish it use the best, and lay 
it on with a flat brush, freely and evenly. Do not step on it then till it is hard. 

Wipe a varnished floor about once a week with a soft cloth wrung out of 
lukewarm water. 

To Ebonize Wood Floors. — In 1 quart of water boil 1 lb. logwood chips until 
it is colored well. Apply this evenly, giving a second coat to close textured 
boards. Let it dry, and then apply a strong solution of sulphate of iron in water. 
A fine black results which can be sized and then waxed or varnished. 

Enameling Floors- — This is done by applying several coats of paint, and rub- 
bing the floor down with fine glass paper between each coat. It is best done by 
a skilled workman. 

Oiled Floors. — Heat boiled linseed oil boiling hot; have the floor very clean, 
and then, using an old paint brush, apply the oil, keeping it hot all the time. It 
may be colored if desired; 1 tablespoonful of burnt umber to the quart of oil 
darkens it, while the same quantity of yellow ochre will make it light. A bad 
floor will require 2 coats; even a very rough floor will be greatly benefited by thus 
oiling it. It will be often enough in most families to oil a floor twice a year. It 
can be kept clean by dusting daily, and wiping once a week with a flannel cloth 
wrung out of warm water. Avoid using soap on it. It may be oil polished by 
rubbing the oil in with a rubber, and the more it is rubbed the better it will look. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 445 

A Yellow Paint for Floors can be made by dissolving 2 oz. of glue in 2 quarts 
of soft water; then lift from the fire and stir in 2 lbs. of yellow ochre; have the 
floor clean and dry and apply at once. When dry, lay on a thin coat of boiled 
linseed oil. Do not walk on it till thoroughly dry. 

Hall Floors.— Hardwood or tiles make the best hall floor. Upon this a strip 
of carpet or a rug should be laid, and if necessary fastened in place with brass 
rings. If the floor is of natural wood, lightly cover it at first with linseed oil, and 
have it rubbed smooth and cleaned when dry; then apply a coat of shellac var- 
nish, or polish once a month with beeswax and turpentine. If soft pine is vised it 
will be best to apply several coats of colored varnish. 

To Keep Ground Floors Dry. — Spread over the ground, when building, a layer 
of coal dust crushed fine. Cover it with a layer of sand of equal thickness. 
On top of this lay the floor. The coal dust absorbs the moisture of the ground, 
while the sand and floor are kept dry. 

Carpets. — To Sioeep. — For ingrain and short pile carpets scatter tea-leaves 
(which have first been rinsed in clean water to prevent their staining and are 
then drained well so that they are damp, not wet) over the carpet; rub them in 
with the broom first, and then sweep as usual. This will prevent dust and 
brighten the colors, but the lightest colored carpets may be stained slightly with 
the tea-leaves; they are best therefore on dark-colored carpets. Old tea-leaves 
should be kept for this purpose in a pot set apart for them. Squeeze the water 
out thoroughly with the hand before using them. As a substitute for the tea- 
leaves, newspapers are sometimes used; put them in water till soft, squeeze dry, 
and tear up. Another way is to throw on damp salt and then sweep thoroughly; 
or, sweep first, and then scatter on coarse salt, or dampened Indian meal, and 
sweep again; or after sweeping put a cup of coarse salt in a large basin of water, 
and go over the carpet with a clean cloth wet in it. Either of these methods 
brighten the colors wonderfully. Wiping the carpet thoroughly, after sweeping, 
with a damp flannel cloth wrung out of warm soapsuds, or water containing am- 
monia or borax, is also an excellent way to keep it bright. Bran is a good thing 
to sweep with to keep down the dust. Sweep with a short, sharp stroke, without 
scattering the dust. No other plan is so good as burning the dirt. 

Thick-piled carpets, like Axminster and Turkey, should be swept the way of 
the pile always. In this way they can be kept clean for years, but if swept any 
other way the dust will enter the carpet and soon spoil it. Any carpet swept 
against the grain soon looks rough and battered. 

Velvet pile carpets are best swept by using firmly a hard whisk brush, made 
of cocoanut fiber; once a week wipe them over with a chamois leather dampened 
with water containing ammonia. 

Another plan, enthusiastically advocated by some housekeepers, is to do away 
with the use of brooms almost altogether. Instead of sweeping they go over the 
carpet each week with a sponge wet in a pail of warm water containing a little 
ammonia, and wipe carefully about 2 square feet of surface at a time. The daily 
litter they clean up with a carpet sweeper. Carpets thus treated last longer and 
look better, and the dust in the room will be lessened % at least; it is better than 
a bi-weekly sweeping. 

To Beat Carpets. — All' carpets or rugs should be well beaten and rubbed with 
a broom before being cleaned. To beat properly, hang them on a stout line, 
wrong side out. The sticks used should be pliable, with cloth in the form of a 
knot at the end to prevent tearing the carpet. After well beating the wrong side 
turn and beat the other in the same way. After the floor has been washed and 
become thoroughly dry, the carpet can be relaid and then cleaned. 

To Clean Carpets with Bulloch's Gall. — Use 1 pint to 3 gallons of water, and 
add 5 oz. pear lash; mix well. With a brush scrub about 1 square yard of the 
carpet at a time, as quickly and carefully as possible, and then suck up the gall 
with a flannel or sponge, which should be frequently rinsed in clean cold water; 
then dry with clean linen or cotton cloths before beginning another square. Thus 
proceed until the carpet is finished. For carpets which are not very dirty, or 
which contain delicate colors, this process is adapted, as it will not soil them. 
Old gall will smell, but by using fresh gall the odor will disappear in a few hours. 
To Clean Carpets tvith Soap Liquor. — Cut up a bar of soap and dissolve it 
over a fire in 2 gal. of water. Put 2 quarts of this dissolved soap into a pail of 



446 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

warm water, add a little ammonia, and wash 1 square yard at a time as directed 
for the bullock's gall process. In neither case should the liquid be allowed to 
soak through to the back of the carpet, but apply and wipe it up quickly. Have 
the floor perfectly dry before the carpet is laid, and keep a fire in the room to 
expedite the drying. Ingrain,, tapestry, Brussels and Turkish carpets are all 
cleaned the same way, and the secret of the best results is in rinsing them thor- 
oughly without letting them become soaked through. 

Process No. 3. — Another good way is to take 1 lb. of soap, % 1D - soda, 1 oz. 
nitric acid, and 1 gal. water. First melt the soap and soda in an oven; then mix 
all well in the water. With a clean scrubbing brush wash the carpet well from 
seam to seam with this mixture, and rinse it off quickly with clean soft water, 
using a flannel cloth or sponge. Do only a small piece of the carpet at a time, 
and rub that dry before doing more. 

Process No. 4.— Another process for a very dirty carpet is to take 2 gallons of 
boiling water, 1 oz. of soap, and 1 drachm of soda. Apply with a clean flannel, 
rub well, and then rinse well with clean hot water. After becoming thoroughly 
dry the colors are greatly improved by rubbing it over with a flannel dipped in a 
strong solution of ox-gall. 

A new and excellent process for cleaning carpets, without taking them up, 
is the following: To 1 quart of warm water add 5oz. of castile soap cut fine; let 
it boil, then add 2 oz. pulverized borax. When cold, add 2 oz. aqua ammonia,^ 
oz. sulphuric ether, ~% oz. glycerine, % oz - spirits of wine. Take 2 tablespoons of 
the mixture and put it in 1 quart of warm water (or use in this proportion) and 
with a cloth or sponge rub the carpet briskly. It is not necessary to use the 
liquid very freely, but a large amount of foam or suds is developed, and rubbing 
this briskly over the carpet seems to be the most effective agency in cleaning it. 
After a few square feet of the surface have been thoroughly rubbed with the 
foam, dry with a flannel cloth or sponge, rinsing it frequently in clean water. Do 
not use the liquid too freely, or get the carpet too wet. This application does not 
injure the most delicate colors but, on the contrary, revives them, removes grease 
spots and smears of almost every kind, and restores the dirtiest carpet to almost 
its original beauty. Besides which it is easily applied. The process is excellent, 
and has been kept as a secret. 

In cities where bituminous coal is used a carpet may be scrubbed with good 
effect as regularly as a floor. Sweep the carpet first, and then go over it with a 
very clean mop or flannel cloth and clean water, with 4 tablespoons of ammonia 
to the bucketful. Change the water frequently. By. leaving the windows open 
it will soon dry. 

Removing Grease From Carpets. — (1) Common wheat flour (or buckwheat if 
it is in the house) is one of the best domestic applications for removing kerosene, 
or any oil or grease, from a carpet. Sprinkle it on at once and freely; leave 2 or 
3 days; sweep it into a dustpan, and apply more, repeating until all trace is gone. 
It can be removed in this way. (2) Old grease spots may be cut by applying 
spirits of turpentine and leaving it on several hours; then rub between the hands 
and it will come away, and the colors will be uninjured. (3) Lay damp fuller's 
earth on a grease spot, let it stay several hours, and then rub gently into the car- 
pet; then wash off with a little ammonia carbonate and the colors will be restored. 
(4) Make a paste by pouring boiling water on equal parts of fuller's earth and 
magnesia. Place this while hot on the grease spot; when thoroughly dry, brush 
off. The grease will be gone. (5) Make a thick paste of fuller's earth with cold 
rain-water and spread thinly over the greased part of the carpet; let it dry thor- 
oughly, and then brush off with a stiff brush; all traces of the oil will have dis- 
appeared. This may be applied to the most delicate fabric. If the first appli- 
cation is not sufficient, apply again. It will do the work. (6) If the stain is 
recent, wash with warm soapsuds and borax — using % oz. borax to 1 gallon of 
water; then rinse with warm water and wipe dry. 

If soot is spilled on a carpet, cover it at once with a plentiful layer of salt, 
and sweep all up together; hardly a trace of the soot will be left. Any trace 
remaining can be removed by washing the spot with soap and ammonia. 

Ink Stains on Carpets. — When ink is spilled on a carpet immediately take up 
all that is possible with blotting paper, and then wash out what you can witii 
milk, either sweet or sour; then sprinkle white cornmeal on plentifully and leave 



ALL ABOUT? THE HOUSE. Hi 

over night; in the morning sweep it up, and not a particle of the stain should 
remain, and the colors will be bright. For dry ink stains proceed the same way, 
but let the milk soak in for a while, and repeat many times. Or prepare a solu- 
tion of 8 parts soft water to 1 part, by measure, of powdered oxalic acid, and rub 
it on; then wash it out thoroughly or the acid will destroy the cloth. If the 
colors are affected at all, dry with flannel and at once apply ammonia to neutral- 
ize the acid; then wipe dry, and apply chloroform which will bring out the colors. 

Spots from sugar or sweets can be taken out with water and a damp cloth, 
as water will dissolve sugar. 

Varnish stains on carpets should be cut with turpentine or benzine, and then 
washed carefully with clean soapsuds. 

Cum or wax on a carpet can be cut by applying benzine or alcohol, and so 
removed. 

For Whitewash, Acid or Discolored Spots on Carpets. — A few drops of car- 
bonate of ammonia, and a small quantity of warm rain-water, will prove a safe 
and easy antacid, etc., and will, if carefully applied, remove discolored spots upon 
carpets, and indeed, all spots, whether produced by acids or alkalies. If injured 
by whitewash this will immediately restore a carpet. 

Either paint or oil may be removed from a carpet by patient rubbing with 
chloroform. Be careful not to inhale the fumes. (See also the article on "Remov- 
ing Spots and Stains," elsewhere.) 

If the colors of a carpet are injured, see what we say about injured colors in 
the article elsewhere on "Removing Spots and Stains." 

To Lay Carpets. — In laying a carpet work it the lengthway of the material. 
Nail one end clear across, but do not nail the sides until you are sure it is fully 
stretched. A carpet stretcher is a great help. A new carpet should be stretched 
rather tightly, or after being walked over a few days it will rub up in folds and 
wrinkles. If the puckers in the seams are unusually obstinate and do not dis- 
appear after the carpet has been down a few days wet them with clean cold 
water; when it dries the carpet will be smooth. If before laying the carpet the 
floor is washed with water containing borax or alum, and if pepper, salt, cam- 
phor or alum are sprinkled under, and especially around the edges of the carpet, 
it will help to keep out insects. Lay down the carpet, turn back the edge, 
sprinkle on whatever you use; then turn back the carpet and tack it down. Have 
the floor perfectly dry before the carpet is laid. Carpets of whatever kind wear 
better if the floor boards are perfectly even; also if laid down over carpet lining, 
paper or coarse canvas. Good carpet lining is a*protection against insects. Get the 
moth proof lining; newspapers are the next best thing, as the printer's ink repels 
moths; use several thicknesses of it. If newspapers are laid under carpet lining, 
that will wear longer. Carpets prepared with loops on the side, and nails in 
grooves on the floor, on which they hook, are easily taken up, and the plan seems 
a good one. Carpets which are not tacked down may, if they turn up, be 
thoroughly wetted on the back; when dry they will lie flat for sometime, but the 
process may have to be repeated. 

Stair carpets should always have a pad put under them at or over the edge 
of every stair. Use cotton, paper, or pieces of old carpet, which answer very well. 
Have the pad a little narrower than the carpet itself. Good pads will make the 
carpet look richer, feel softer to the feet, and wear twice as long. If the carpet 
is a little longer than the stairs, and is moved up or down a little each time it is 
taken up, thus bringing the wear in a new place, it will last much longer. 

When putting down a new carpet it will be a good idea to save the ravelings; 
they may be very useful later on in mending the carpet. In buying a carpet, 
small patterns as a rule are best. 

When painting the baseboard, if 2 or 3 inches of the floor are painted at the 
same time and the same color, if the carpet does not perfectly cover the floor, the 
gap will not be noticeable. 

Insects.— These usually make their appearance where the carpet is folded 
under, or under heavy furniture and in places where the feet do not tread. With 
ingrain and Brussels carpets, on their first appearance lay on a wet cloth and 
apply a very hot flat-iron; the steam generated kills all insects. When a carpet 
is not taken up at housecleaning time it is well to thus steam it, as that kills all 
eggs as well as insects. Wilton or Axminster carpets are better sent to a steam 



448 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

cleaner's. If the wet cloth and hot iron are applied to these it should be on the 
wrong side, as the thick pile on the right side prevents the penetration of the 
heat. Either benzine or alum water will eradicate insects, and neither will injure 
the colors. Pulverized alum, sprinkled under the edges and in troublesome cor- 
ners, is an admirable preventive. (For further information about insects see the 
article on "Insect Pests.") 

Hearth Bugs. — Do not clean these on the floor, but put them on a large scour- 
ing board. Clean only a small part at a time, and as soon as finished, dry them 
quickly, which is especially important when the pile is thick. They may be 
cleaned by either of the processes given for cleaning carpets. 

To Clean Sheepskin Rugs or Mats. — (1) Take out dirt and grease spots with 
strong soap liquor, or if necessary use fuller's earth. For a thorough cleaning, 
after taking out spots in this way, dissolve 1 bar of soap in 2 gallons of boiling 
water; put 2 quarts of this in a tub or pan containing about 2 gal. of warm water. 
Put the rug or mat into this pan, and thoroughly wash and punch it. Throw 
away this first liquor, and mix another lot in the same way, and again wash the 
rug; continue this until it is perfectly clean. Then rinse well in cold water to 
take out all the soap. For white skins only, rinse again in cold water in which a 
little blue has been dissolved. Then wring out, shake and hang to dry with the 
skin side toward the sun, but not when the heat is scorching, or the skin will 
become hard and brittle. It should, while drying, be shaken frequently, and 
hung up first by one side and then by the other. (2) Rub oil or tallow into the 
skin side, and heat to assist its drying; then with soap and water wash the skin 
in the usual way; dry it well, and wash with benzine. Thus treated, the skin 
remains soft. 

White Goatskin Rugs. — These may be cleaned with naphtha. Wet a small 
place, and then rub with a soft cloth until clean; then clean another small place, 
and so on until all is gone over. Afterwards hang up in an airy place until the 
odor is gone. Be very careful not to allow alight in the room when using naph- 
tha, as it is very inflammable. 

Oilcloths. — Oilcloth is made from canvas covered with layers of oil-paint. It 
should be kept for some time to harden the paint, as otherwise it chips and soon 
wears out. In buying, get that which is as old as possible — if several years old, so 
much the better. That made recently is hardly worth buying. The heaviest oil- 
cloth is usually the best. 

On buying a new oilcloth its durability may be increased by first putting on 
1 or 2 coats of linseed oil, and, when thoroughly dry, adding 1 or 2 coats of var- 
nish, which should also dry well before the oilcloth is used. 

Care of Oilcloth. — Oilcloth should never be scrubbed with a brush, nor should 
hot water ever be used on it. Soap, soda, ammonia, washing powders and stiff 
brushes all start the paint and spoil the cloth, and too frequent washing is not 
advisable. To clean it, use cold water, or that which is not more than lukewarm, 
and apply it with a large, soft cloth. Dry it well, and then sponge it over with 
milk; then wipe it with a soft dry cloth and it will look fresh and bright. If 
used sparingly, warm linseed oil gives it a glossy look, but applied plentifully it 
makes it sticky, so that the dust adheres to it. The most common mistake is 
using too much oil. Use but little and polish it well afterwards, thus imparting 
a handsome gloss. Few housekeepers realize the difference between dusty and 
dirty oilcloth. Ordinarily, after sweeping, if it looks dull and dusty, go over it 
with a dry mop-cloth, a little at a time, and it will look as bright as though 
washed, and will wear a great deal longer thus treated. Whenever water is 
•applied to oilcloth it should be wiped perfectly dry, or the dampness will soon 
rot it. 

It is a good plan to apply linseed oil 3 or 4 times a year; apply but little, rub 
it in slightly, and polish well with an old silk or flannel cloth. About once a year 
apply a coat of good coach varnish. Do not step on it till fully dry. Thus treated 
oilcloth will wear 3 times as long as otherwise. 

Whenever oilcloth is laid where it will be much exposed to the sun it should 
have paper laid under it, as otherwise it may stick fast to the floor. 

Oilcloth may be improved by applying now and then a mixture of ~% oz. of 
beeswax in a saucerful of turpentine; or use linseed oil, turpentine and beeswax 
mixed. Be sure and rub it in well, and polish it off thoroughly with a dry cloth. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 449 

Removing White Spots. — If oilcloth is turned white by setting anything 
hot upon it, put on a little spirits of camphor, and rub it well with a dry cloth. 

Oilcloth Made From Carpet,— Take an old Brussels carpet and nail it loosely to the 
floor, wrong side up. in a large unused room. Paint it with a thick coat of linseed oil and 
burnt umber; let it dry throughly, and apply a coat of good varnish; let that dry for a week 
or two and it will be ready for use. An ornamental border of scarlet, green or blue lines, 
maybe added if desired. Nail it down closely for it will wear four times as long as an 
ordinary oilcloth, and need not betaken up for years. Eenew the paint and varnish as 
they wear off. It can be washed with milk and water like any oilcloth. 

A Cheap Carpet somewhat resembling oilcloth, may be made by first covering the 
floor with cheap cotton cloth tacked down all around the edges. Then select paper with an 
appropriate figure, and paste it on as you would wall-paper. When dry, varnish it 2 or 3 
times, and let it dry thoroughly. It should last 2 or 3 years. If canvas is used instead of 
the cotton cloth, then a layer of brown paper pasted on it, then paste on the wall-paper as 
above , then apply a thin size of glue, and varnish it with India rubber varnish (2 or 3 coats), 
a much better and more durable article will be made. 

Linoleum. — Soda rapidly destroys linoleum, but soap and grease do not. 
When dirty, wash it with soap and water; then apply equal parts of linseed oil 
and vinegar mixed. This is the best thing, and much better than milk, which is 
commonly used. Linseed oil and turpentine, mixed in equal quantities, if rubbed 
on occasionally, makes it bright as new and improves its wear, but polish it off 
well after applying it. 

Linoleum is a preparation of linseed oil, hardened or oxydized, mixed with ground 
cork, and pressed on rollers. Many prefer it to oilcloth, because it is not so cold; it is noise- 
less, and it is impervious to damp. 

Mattings. — Straw and India matting may be cleaned: (1) By using warm 
water and salt; use a soft cloth, dip it in the solution, wring it out, and wipe the 
matting, wetting it only sufficiently to remove dust and stains. (2) Prepare good 
bran-water by boiling bran contained in a bag in water and squeezing the bag to 
extract the virtue of the bran. When moderately hot wash about a square yard 
at a time, with a flannel cloth dipped in this bran-water, and dry at once with a 
linen cloth. (3) For stains, mix lemon juice and salt; apply it to the stain, let it 
stand several hours, and then wash it-off. 

Straw Matting. — This should be fastened in position, as it will crack and 
become wrinkled if laid so that it can be taken up like cocoanut matting. It 
should be dusted regularly, and washed occasionally — perhaps twice during a 
season where not much used, and oftener where much exposed. 

A thin coat of varnish applied to straw matting will make it more durable 
and improve its appearance. 

Cocoanut Matting. — This when very dirty may be scrubbed while on the floor 
with hot water and soap, then taken up, loosely folded, rinsed in cold water, and 
hung on a line till dry. As all dirt sifts through a cocoanut matting it should be 
taken up once a week, shaken, and the floor washed and dried thoroughly before 
putting it down again. This is usually about all the treatment it needs. 

India matting is made of grass fiber, and if it gets too dry it quickly splits. 
In hot weather it should be washed over with water once or twice a week, and 
left wet, and the fiber will absorb moisture enough to keep it fairly tough. If of 
good quality it wears a long time if properly cared for. 

For grease spots on matting apply a paste of fuller's earth or pipe clay. 

For ink spots use oxalic acid as advised for wood floors. 

Tiled Floors. — Wash ordinarily 2 or 3 times a week with soft water, soft soap, 
and flannel cloths. If stained, wash with a solution of % P au °f s °ft water to 1 
pint of hydrochloric acid; then wash thoroughly with fresh water and a little 
soft soap. 

FURNITURE. 

Hints About Buying. — In buying furniture it is by no means necessary to 
buy in "sets," nor need there be any desire to have all the furniture in a room 
"match." The best taste does not require it, and it often makes a room look stiff 
and formal. Let each room have an individuality of its own. Do not overcrowd 
a room either. In buying furniture select it more for comfort than for show. 
You are fitting up a home to live in, and it should be made the most comfortable 
and attractive place on earth for its various members. Also when you buy, get 



450 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

well made furniture which will wear — it will be the cheapest in the end. Do 
not be afraid of second-hand furniture if you find what you want. Most young 
housekeepers regard it with too much contempt, while many old ones especially 
bargain hunters, set too much store by it. The following hints about buying 
furniture will be of value to young housekeepers: (I) Do not buy what you 
do not need. (2) When you buy get the best, or the best you can afford. (3) 
Pay cash, or wait till you can. (4) Buy single pieces, or a few pieces at a 
time, as you have the means. (5) Do not be ashamed to wait for bargains, 
and pick them up when they come in your way. (6) Do not buy anything 
because some one else has, unless you really need it yourself. 

Care of Furniture. — Rub varnished furniture every day when it is dusted with 
a soft silk cloth or chamois skin. Constant rubbing is belter than the frequent 
use of furniture polish, which is apt to make the furniture smeary. It must, 
however, be kept clean. To do this it is well to wash it occasionally, say twice a 
year, at the spring and fall housecleaning, with a flannel wrung out of cold tea, 
or with vinegar and water. Then polish with a dry chamois, and use one of the 
furniture polishes given further on. After applying any furniture polish rub 
until the furniture is thoroughly dry and shiny. Many people apply too much 
polish, and they do not rub it enough afterwards, so that a thin film is left which 
collects dust; this should never be. 

Painted furniture is cleaned principally by dusting; if washed it should be 
done quickly, with a little warm water, and dried at once with a soft cloth; or use 
a damp cloth dipped in whiting, instead of soap. 

Oak, polished or unpolished (not varnished), may be cleaned with cold tea, 
and then polished with a preparation of beeswax and turpentine. After apply- 
. ing it, rub well with flannel. 

The best brush for the woodwork of chairs, etc., has bristles at the end. 

To Restore Dull and Scratched Furniture. — (1) One of the best things to use, 
because it gives a good gloss, restores the color of the wood, and covers scratches 
as well as anything except a thorough scraping and refinishing, is a mixture of 1 
part turpentine and 3 parts linseed oil, rubbed on with a flannel cloth. (2) Old 
furniture which has a dull greasy look should be rubbed with turpentine and 
then polished with some good furniture polish. (3) To clean varnished furniture 
a good plan is to take a woolen rag and moisten it with spirits of turpentine; it 
will clear the dust and cloud from carvings and panels. Then rub the surface 
thoroughly with a piece of flannel dipped in linseed oil. (4) Old-fashioned house- 
keepers think that for French polished furniture there is nothing better than 
beeswax and turpentine, rubbed in thoroughly until it shines like glass. 

Cane Chair Seats. — These may be washed with hot water, in which a little 
lemon has been squeezed, until the cane is well soaked; leave it in the open air 
to dry. Or, beat out the dust, and then turn the chair bottom upwards and 
wash the cane, using a sponge and hot water; if it is very dirty use soap also. 
Wash thoroughly and see that it is well soaked; then let it dry in the open air. 
This method will make the canes clean, tight and elastic. 

Leather chair seats may be revived by rubbing them with "glaire." (See 
Leather.) 

Chintz on furniture can be cleaned by brushing it lightly, then wiping with 
clean flannel, and then rubbing it with dry bread; it will look nearly equal to 
new. 

Hair Cloth on Furniture. — This may be cleaned by wiping it well with a 
clean wet cloth. 

Upholstered furniture should be beaten with small pliable switches to clear 
out the dust, and then brushed with a good brush. Always clean carefully 
around all buttons and tufts on the furniture. 

i"/ moths appear in upholstered furniture, saturate it with benzine or gasoline. 
This will not injure any fabric, and it is death to all vermin. It will soon evap- 
orate so that no odor will be left. 

Dust silk, satin or leather upholstering with a soft cloth; anything harsh will 
scratch it. 

White spots on any varnished furniture may be removed: (1) By rubbing 
with a rag wet with spirits of camphor, or with essence of peppermint, and then 
with furniture polish or oil. (2) Wet a flannel in turpentine and then rub the 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 451 

spot hard; several applications may be needed and some patience. (3) Hold a 
warming-pan, hot stove lid, or shovel of coals over the spot; then rub, while it is 
warm, with soft flannel. A good way. (4) Rub with pulverized pumice stone 
mixed with a little linseed oil; then take a cotton cloth and brush the spot over 
with shellac varnish, thinned with turpentine. 

Spots caused by alcohol or anything hot may be removed by hard rubbing 
with turpentine and sweet oil mixed; after the spots are removed, wash with 
lukewarm soapsuds, dry quickly, and polish by briskly rubbing with chamois 
skin. 

Finger marks on varnished furniture may be removed by rubbing the spot 
with sweet oil; on oiled furniture rub them with kerosene. 

Dark Stains on Furniture. —These may often be removed with a little oxalic 
acid and water, rubbed on hard and diligently with a cork; wash the place after- 
wards with clear water, dry, and polish in the ordinary way. Kerosene will 
remove many stains from varnished furniture. 

Ebonized furniture or wood may be polished and restored by rubbing all 
spots the way of the grain of the wood with finely pulverized pumice stone and 
oil; then polish with a soft dry cloth. 

Oiled Walnut. — This when it begins to look dingy, can be made to look as 
fresh as new by re-oiling it. Either linseed or good kerosene may be used. Ap- 
ply it with a soft woolen rag, and rub it in well; then polish it with clean, dry 
flannel. Or, put 2 tablespoons of boiled linseed oil in 1 pint of strong coffee; 
apply warm with flannel; rub with dry flannel to finish. 

Willow Furniture. — This should be cleaned with salt and water. Scrub it 
well with a small brush and dry it thoroughly. Take out grease spots with ful- 
ler's earth, and ink stains with oxalic acid, as described for wood floors or wood. 

To Bleach Willow Ware. — Soak it for 15 minutes in commercial peroxide of 
hydrogen (it can be obtained at any drug store and is often called "oxygenated 
water"); then take it out and expose it to the sun. This will bleach it snow white. 
Willow baskets, etc., can be thus bleached. 

To Bepolish and Finish Old Mahogany. — First remove the old varnish with 
sandpaper, or if it is French polish remove it with alcohol. Produce a tine finish 
with the finest sandpaper, then rub with vinegar, and then apply boiled linseed 
oil; let it soak a few days and then rub it with flannel cloths. Oil each evening, 
let soak over night, and rub during the day, and the more you rub the finer the 
finish. A little alkanet root and rose pink added to the oil will hasten the 
process. 

Stains on Mahogany. — (1) An excellent preparation for taking stains from 
mahogany, as well as ink, if not of too long standing, is the following: To J^ pint 
of soft water, put 1 oz. oxalic acid, and % oz. butter (terchloride) of antimony; 
shake well. When dissolved, it is ready for use. Rinse afterwards with clear 
water. (2) Another preparation for removing stains from mahogany is to mix 6 
oz. of spirit of salt and %. oz- of powdered salts of lemon. Drop a little of this 
mixture on the stains, and rub well with a cork until they disappear; then wash 
off with cold water. 

White spots on mahogany tables caused by hot dishes may be removed by 
pouring a little kerosene Oil on the spot and rubbing it with a flannel cloth; add 
more kerosene occasionally, rub hard, and persevere until the stain disappears. 
Always rub the way of the grain. (2) Rub on oil, then pour on a little alcohol and 
rub it dry with a soft cloth. 

Ink Stains on Mahogany, Black Walnut, or Bosewood Furniture. — These 
may be removed as follows: Take a teaspoon of water and add 6 or 8 drops of 
nitric acid; touch the spot with a feather dipped in the mixture; as soon as the 
ink disappears rub it at once with a rag wet with cold water, or there will be a 
white spot not easily effaced. If the first application does not remove it, strengthen 
the mixture and repeat as before. Or, apply muriatic acid with a rag until the 
spot is gone, and then wash with water as directed above. Or, use diluted oil of 
vitriol the same way. Use all acids with care. 

A mahogany top of bath may be restored by washing it thoroughly with 
warm water and soap, and when dry apply the following polish with a flannel, 
and afterwards rub well with a soft dry cloth: Mix % P m t brown vinegar, J^ 
pint linseed oil, 1 wineglass alcohol. Shake the mixture well. If very shabby, 
it will require several applications. 



452 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Rosewood Furniture. — This should be wiped daily with a dry soft cloth; it 
will not require rubbing, and no oil should be used on it. 
- To Remove Ink Stains from Highly Polished Furniture. — Put 6 drops of 
spirits of nitre in 1 tablespoon of water; dip a earners hair brush in this, and 
touch the stain gently; rub the place immediately with a sponge wet in cold 
water, or the nitre will make a spot. 

To remove ink stains from any unpainted wood, as tables, benches, etc., rub 
the spots with lemon juice; then wash off with warm water. Strong vinegar may 
be used instead of the lemon juice. Either citric, tartaric or oxalic acid will 
remove the stains. Wash off afterwards with some alkali, like soda and water. 

For scratches on furniture rub them with a woolen rag clipped in boiled lin- 
seed oil; the article must then be varnished with shellac dissolved in alcohol. 
Or, camphorated oil rubbed briskly on scratched articles restores the color and 
polish and leaves them smooth and glossy. It should be rubbed on lightly and 
quickly with a piece of flannel. 

Scratches in varnish will entirely disappear, it is said, if a coarse cloth that 
has been well saturated with linseed oil is laid over them; this simple remedy 
will be invaluable to those who have charge of carriages, highly polished furni- 
ture, etc. 

To Take Bruises out of Furniture. — If they are small keep the place wet with 
warm water, and hold a red hot iron near it; the wood will soon swell and the 
dent will be gone. If larger, first wet the spot with warm water, and then lay 
on brown paper, which has been soaked in warm water and folded into 5 or 6 
thicknesses; lay a warm, but not hot, flat-iron on this till the moisture evaporates. 
Repeat if necessary; 2 or 3 repetitions will bring the dent or bruise to a level. 

Drawers which draw out hard can be made to move more easily if the spot 
where they press is rubbed over with a little hard soap. 

Chips broken off of any of the furniture in the house should be saved, and 
fastened on again with a little glue; liquid glue can be used. 

Worm-eaten Furniture. — This may be varnished with copal or white carriage 
varnish; go all over the wood with it; apply two coats so that the interstices are 
well filled with it. 

A furniture filling may be made as follows:— Take % pint of flour, 1 gallon 
plaster of paris, % oz - prepared chalk, % oz. pulverized pumice stone; mix all 
together; add % gill Japan dryer and 1 quart boiled oil. 

Any insects attacking furniture may be killed by saturating it with benzine. 

Baths should be cleaned about once a fortnight. If neglected, they are apt 
to become dark colored. Rub them with wet flannel dipped in salt, which will 
keep them in good condition. Keep the brass faucets brightly polished. 

Pianos. — With these, moths and moisture are the two great enemies which 
must be guarded against. If moths are found, saturate the infected parts at 
once with benzine. As a preventive, use some strongly odoriferous preparation 
like oil of cedar. (See our article on "Insect Pests.") To guard against dampness 
do not stand a piano on a stone floor nor against an outside wall if it can be 
avoided. If wires accumulate rust, as frequently happens, the dampness comes 
either from the general atmosphere of the room, or from the floor. The latter 
can be prevented by covering the floor beneath the piano with waterproof paper, 
or use ordinary brown paper coated on both sides with linseed oil or varnish, lay- 
ing it under the carpet. To remove rust from the wires, rub them lengthwise 
with a piece of chamois leather with emery flour spread on it; afterwards remove 
every particle of the powder with a clean leather. 

Dust a piano regularly, carefully and thoroughly. Use a pair of bellows to 
blow out the dust under the wires. Dust off the polished surface lightly with an 
old soft, silk handerchief , or canton flannel. 

Expose the ivory keys to the direct rays of the sun as often as possible, as 
that bleaches them and prevents their turning yellow. Keep the instrument 
closed in damp weather and at night. 

To remove finger marks, breathe on them and wipe them off lightly and 
quickly with chamois skin. 

Be cautious about using piano polishes. When applied, use but little, and 
rub it off well with soft woolen cloth. Ordinarily, clean, when the piano needs 
it, with a little lukewarm water, and rub dry with an oiled chamois skin, doing 
but little at a time. Rub bruises with a little pumice stone. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 453 

For the care of the ivory piano keys, see "Ivory." 

Furniture Polishes. — There are a great many recipes for these; we give a few 
of the best of them. (1) Take 1% oz. of alcohol; \% oz. of terchloride of antimony; 
3^ oz. hydrochloric acid; 8 oz. linseed oil; 1 cup vinegar. Mix thoroughly, and 
apply a thin even coat. (This has been repeatedly sold for $5.) (2) Take equal 
parts of linseed oil, turpentine, and either vinegar or alcohol; mix. Rub in well, 
and polish with a piece of chamois leather. This is cheap, useful, and excellent 
for dingy furniture. (3) Take equal parts of linseed oil, spirits of wine and shel- 
lac varnish; mix. This is excellent. (4) Boiled linseed oil rubbed well into the 
wood with a cloth is a very good substitute for furniture polish. (5) Kerosene oil 
applied to ordinary furniture and then rubbed well with soft flannel or chamois 
skin freshens it nicely. (6) A French Polish. — Take % oz - shellac, % oz - gum 
lac, % oz. gumsandarac, 1 pint spirits of wine: put all together in a stone bot- 
tle; shake frequently until the gums are all dissolved, and it is ready for use. 

Piano Polish. — Take an 8 oz. bottle and fill it a little over % full of turpentine; 
add 1 tablespoon of alcohol and % teaspoon of rotten stone; then fill up the bottle 
with sweet oil. Shake well before using. Apply with a cheesecloth; then rub 
well with a clean cloth; lastly with a cloth with barely a trace (no more) of alco- 
hol on it; too much alcohol will make the surface streaked. Rub lightly at first, 
then harder, and the longer you rub the finer the finish. (Used by the best piano 
dealers.) 

French Polish Reviver. — Mix % gill vinegar; 1 gill spirits of wine; 1 drachm 
linseed oil. 

Violins. — To clean: (1) Use soap and water, but don't let it run through the 
"St" holes. Clean the interior with dry rice. Do not use spirits. (2) Use ordinary 
paraffine oil; slightly saturate a rag of soft silk, and wash the violin with it. The 
effect is almost magical; the paraffine dissolves the crust of dirt and resin, and 
cleans the varnish without injury. When clean, rub with linseed oil. Spirits of 
wine removes the old resin, but often takes the varnish with it. For the inside, 
steep a handful of rice in a solution of water and sugar for 5 minutes; strain off, 
and nearly dry the rice — or till it is barely sticky; put it in at the sound holes, 
and shake. It will pick up all dirt; then turn it out. 

Violin Bows. — Wipe carefully with a flannel moistened in a solution of borax 
and water. Or use the best yellow soap, then wipe with clear water on flannel, 
and dry with a linen cloth. 

Hints About Wood. — For an oak stain for new wood mix burnt umber and 
raw sienna in a saucer; have some boiled linseed oil in another dish, and dip'a 
flannel rag in the oil, then in the first mixture, and rub on the wood; the next 
day rub it over with clean oil. 

A red stain for chairs, bedsteads, etc., is obtained by using archil, cold. To 
improve it, add a second coat, and, when nearly dry, brush it over with a hot 
solution of pearlash in water. 

Genuine oak may be darkened by applying strong liquid ammonia with a rag 
or brush. The color deepens at once and does not fade. It gives the appearance 
of age. The shade may be varied by applying one or more coats. Considerable 
difference is made by applying oil on any of these stained woods, as it helps to 
bring out the color and beauty of the grain. In Germany cabinet makers use 
strong coffee to darken oak. 

For an oak stain take 2 oz. of pearlash, 2 oz. American potash, and 1 quart of 
water; bottle, and it is always ready for use. If the color is too deep add more 
water. 

For a rosewood stain take 1 pint of water and dissolve in it about 5 cents 
worth of logwood; add pulverized alum, a little at a time, till the solution is dark 
brown. Apply this to the article to be stained, and when dry apply a coat of oil 
or varnish as preferred. 

For a Walnut Stain. — (1) Dissolve in 5 quarts of hot water, 3 oz. of manganate 
of potash and 3 oz. of sulphate of manganese. Apply to the wood with a brush, 
and repeat several times. Or, (2) take 34 oz - bichromate of potash, 1% oz. wash- 
ing soda, 1)4. oz - Vandyke brown, 1 quart water, boil 10 minutes. Apply either 
hot or cold with a brush. 

For a mahogany stain boil % lb. madder and 2 oz. logwood chips in 1 gallon 
of water, and brush well over while hot. When dry, go over with pearlash solu- 



454 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

tion, 2 drachms to the quart. By using it strong or weak the color can be 
varied at pleasure. Or, to a pint of nitric acid, dissolve alum the size of an egg; 
to this add a solution of extract of logwood till the desired shade is obtained. 

For an ebony stain infuse gall nuts in vinegar in which rusty nails have been 
soaked; rub the wood with the infusion; dry, polish, and burnish. Or stain first 
with a hot saturated solution of logwood, containing a little alum; when dry, 
brush over with common writing ink. 

To Ebonize Wood. — Take 1 lb. logwood chips and 3 pints water; boil to 1 
pint; apply hot to any close grained wood; let dry and give another coat; let it 
dry slowly and then sandpaper; mix 1 gill of vinegar with 3 tablespoons of iron or 
steel filings; let stand 5 or 10 hours and brush on the wood; let it dry and give 
another coat of the first; this sends the vinegar deeper, arid makes a denser 
black. Then sandpaper smooth, and polish. 

To Fill Cracks, Nail Holes, Etc. — (1) Take some sawdust of the same kind of 
wood you wish to patch, and soak it 7 or 8 days in water; then if boiled for a 
while it will become pulpy, when it should be put in a cloth arid the water 
squeezed out. Mix some of this in thin glue, and press it into the cracks or 
holes. If neatly done, it will hardly show when dry and finished off. (2) A 
cement made by melting beeswax, resin, and shellac together is often used for 
this purpose. (3) Powdered whiting mixed with painter's drying oil is an excel- 
lent filler for pores, but first color it to match the wood it is to be used on. 

To Harden Wood. — Boil it in olive oil 8 or 10 minutes. 

French Method of Polishing. —First polish the wood with a piece of fine 
pumice stone and water, rubbing the way of the grain; finish with boiled linseed 
oil and fine tripoli on flannel. The polish produced is superior, but a good deal 
of patience is required. 

To Render Wood Fireproof. — (1) Soak it 4 or 5 days (covering every part) in 
a strong solution of alum and sulphate of copper. (2) Whitewashing it 2 or 3 
times renders it partially fireproof. 

To Polish Varnish. — Wrap 3 or 4 thicknesses of flannel over a cork, dip it in 
a paste of fine tripoli and water, and polish it on the varnish. Rub only long 
enough to make a smooth surface, without over-doing it. Wipe off a spot with 
a sponge to see if it is sufficiently polished; when satisfactory, finish it with mut- 
ton suet, fine flour, and the bare fingers; a beautiful polish results. 

Nails and Screws. —These may be easily forced into hard wood if they are 
first soaped; or cover them with grease or oil. 

To fill holes of nails, screws, etc., make a thick paste of glue and fine sawdust; 
pound this into the hole and let dry; it will be as good as new. Or, for a ready 
filling, use putty. 

Nails and screivs which are rusted into wood so that it seems impossible to 
start them should have a little kerosene poured over them; after soaking a short 
time the rust will frequently give way. Nuts and bolts very badly rusted may 
often be started the same way. A red hot poker or iron pressed on the head of 
a rusty screw for 3 or 4 minutes will often start it so that it will come out easily. 

Screivs for machinery, if they are dipped in a paste of graphite and oil before 
screwing them in, will not rust in, and can be easily removed even after the lapse 
of years. 

To Deaden Sound or Noise. — A simple device to deaden the sound of hammer- 
ing or pounding would often be a great relief. There are several ways. (1) Put 
rubber cushions under the legs of the work bench; pounding on it will then be 
hardly heard in the room below. (2) Take kegs, put in a few inches of sand or 
sawdust, then put in a board or block on which rest each leg of the bench, and 
then fill the kegs around the legs with sand or sawdust. This will prevent both 
noise and vibration, so that an anvil can be pounded on in an ordinary dwelling 
house, and hardly disturb the inhabitants. 

IVORY, STONE, RUBBER, ETC. 

Amber. — To mend amber smear the broken part with linseed oil, heat the 
fracture carefully over a gas or alcohol flame protecting the other parts from the 
heat, and when sufficiently soft and adhesive press the edges together. To polish 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 455 

use whiting and water first, and finish with olive oil on a flannel cloth. Polish 
it a little at a time at intervals, or it will be apt to fly to pieces with the electric- 
ity generated. Amber may be improved by boiling it in rape oil for 24 hours. 

Bone and Ivory. — To clean these rub them with a paste made of whiting and 
spirits of turpentine. Or to remove stains rub them with powdered pumice stone 
and soap; then polish with dry whiting. Soap or bicarbonate of soda (baking 
soda) and tepid water may be used to clean ivory, but dry it well afterwards; if 
the water gives the article a yellowish look dry it in a warm place. 

To Whiten Ivory. — (1) To bleach out yellowed ivory handled knives and forks 
cover them with a coating of whiting moistened with lemon juice; leave it on 8 
or 10 hours, then rinse in cold water and polish, first with lemon juice and then 
with a soft cloth. It will bleach them. (2) When ivory ornaments get yellow or 
dusky looking, wash them well in soap and water, using a small brush to clean 
the carvings, and place them while wet in bright sunshine; wet them 2 or 3 times 
a day for several days with soapy water, still keeping them in the sun; then 
wash them again and they will be beautifully white. (3) Mix a tablespoon of 
oxalic acid in % pint boiling water; then wet the bone or ivory article and then 
apply the dilute acid with a stiff brush; then rinse well, and dry in a cloth before 
the fire, but do not hold it too close. (4) Yellowed ivory may be whitened by 
applying with a stiff brush a solution of 1 oz. nitric acid in 10 oz. soft water; 
then rinse thoroughly and dry as above. 

To Remove Ink Stains from Ivory.— Apply repeatedly a solution of quadro- 
zalate of potassa in water. Get it at a drug store. Or use oxalic acid. 

To Bleach Bones. — (1) Soak them for a few days in a solution of 4 parts water 
to 1 part fresh chloride of lime; then take out, wash, and dry in the open air. (2) 
Boil them in a mixture of water, unslacked lime and bran, until white and free 
from fatty substances. 

To Polish Bone or Ivory. — (1) Rub them first with fine glass paper, then with 
a wet linen cloth dipped in powdered pumice stone, and then with a cloth wet in 
soapsuds and dipped in whiting. (2) Rubbing spotted or yellowed ivory with 
fine emery paper, and then repolishing with pumice stone and whiting, leaves it 
white and clean. 

To remove the disagreeable odor and fatty emanations of bone and ivory, 
place them in a glass jar, raised a little above the bottom by resting them on 
strips of zinc, and cover them with turpentine; expose to the sun and leave in 3 or 
4 days, or longer if in the shade. They will be beautifully bleached. 

To Stain Ivory. — For black, immerse it frequently in common black ink. Or, 
boil for some time in a strained decoction of logwood; then steep in a solution of 
red acetate of iron. For blue, immerse it in a dilute solution of sulphate of indi- 
go, partly saturated with potash. For green, boil it in a solution of verdigris in 
vinegar until dark enough. 

To Silver Ivory. Immerse a small piece in a weak solution of nitrate of 
silver, and leave it till the solution gives it a deep yellow color; then take out, 
immerse in a tumbler of clear water, and expose, while in the water, to the rays 
of the sun; in about 3 hours it changes to a black color, but on being rubbed 
becomes a brilliant silver. 

To Make Ivory Flexible. — Ivory immersed in a solution of pure phosphoric 
acid, until it partially loses its opacity, and then washed in cold soft water and 
dried, becomes very flexible; if long exposed to dry air it loses its flexibility, but 
by immersion in hot water it can be restored. 

To Soften Ivory. — Slice % lb. of mandrake, and put it into % pint of the 
best vinegar; put the ivory in this and let it stand in a warm place 48 hours; it 
may then be bent into any shape. 

Substitute for Ivory or Horn. — Make a thick paste of starch and a little water, 
and heat it to 212° to 265° F., when it becomes an elastic, transparent mass, easily 
dried and worked into any form desired. 

Artificial Ivory. — This may be made by mixing isinglass and brandy into a 
paste, with powdered egg-shell very finely ground; give it any desired color, oil 
the mold, and pour it in warm; leave the paste in the mold till dry; it will strongly 
resemble ivory. 

Ivory Piano Keys. — These may be cleaned with a damp cloth dipped in whit- 
ing; or use spirits of turpentine and whiting mixed; then polish with a dry cloth. 



456 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

If they turn yellow, leave the lid open and expose them to the sunshine, wetting 
them with soapy water as we explain for bleaching ivory. They turn yellow less 
when much exposed to the light and air. Or, whiten them with lemon juice, oxalic 
or nitric acid in the manner explained for whitening ivory. 

Ivorine. — This can be cleaned as directed for celluloid. Its general care is 
much like ivory. 

Celluloid. — This cracks easily when very cold; when put in hot water it becomes 
soft and pliable. To clean it (1) rub with spirits of turpentine and whiting mixed. 
(2) Use tripoli or pumice stone on woolen cloths. (3) Use warm water and hand 
sapolio (common sapolio is too coarse). 

Horn. — Polish it with rotten stone and oil; finish it with dry flour on a linen 
rag. 

To Polish a Bullock's Horns. — First scrape them with a glass or steel scraper; 
then rub them with cloth wet with water and dipped in powdered pumice stone, 
until a smooth surface is obtained; then polish with rotten stone and linseed oil; 
finish with dry flour and a clean linen rag. The more they are rubbed with the 
rotten stone and oil the better the polish. 

White horn buttons may be made to imitate mother of pearl by being boiled 
in a saturated solution of sugar of lead, and then laid in very dilute hydrochloric 
acid. 

To Soften Horn. — To 1 lb. of wood ashes add 2 lbs. of quicklime; put them into 
1 quart of water; let the whole boil till reduced to }■{; then dip in a feather, and if, 
on drawing it out, the plume should come off, it is boiled enough; if not, boil a 
little longer. When it is settled, filter it off, and in the liquor thus strained put 
in shavings of horn. Let them soak for 3 days, and, first well anointing your 
hands with oil, work the whole into a mass. Horn thus softened can be molded 
into any desired shape. 

To Stain Horn. — For blacJc, use nitrate of silver solution, and expose to the 
sunlight. For blue, stain green, and then steep for a short time in a weak solu- 
tion of sulphate of indigo, containing a little cream of tartar. For green, steep 
in a solution of 2 parts verdigris, and 1 of sal ammoniac. For red, soak in very 
dilute nitric acid for a few minutes, and then apply a strong infusion of cochi- 
neal in aqua ammonia. For yellow, steep in a solution of lead acetate, and then, 
after drying, in a solution of bichromate of potash. 

Tortoiseshell. — This is best polished with rouge, on a linen rag; finish by pol- 
ishing with the hand. Tortoiseshell combs should always be rubbed with 
the hand after they are taken from the hair; they will not then lose their polish. 
They can be washed with ammonia and water like other combs to clean them. 

Marine Shells. — To polish, first clean by rubbing with a rag dipped in hydro- 
chloric acid, till the outer skin is removed; then wash in warm water, dry in hot 
sawdust, and polish with chamois leather. Shells which have no natural polished 
surface may either be varnished, or rubbed with tripoli powder and turpentine 
on wash leather; then with fine tripoli alone; then with a little olive oil; bring 
up the surface lastly with chamois leather as before. 

To Fasten Shells on Wood or Pasteboard. — Melt common resin and stir in 
about twice as much brick dust; use it like sealing wax. Or. use very thick gum 
water, in which finely-powdered whiting is stirred until it is thick. 

Mother of Pearl. — To polish, go over it with finely-powdered pumice stone, 
with which polish it very smooth; then apply putty powder and water with a 
rubber, which will produce a fine gloss and a good color. To clean mother-of-pearl 
wash it with whiting and water; soap destroys its brilliancy. 

Japanned Ware.— Clean it when possible by rubbing with silk or flannel 
alone, without even water. Never leave any water in a japanned teapot when 
through with it. If a japanned article gets dirty, rub it with a sponge wet in 
lukewarm water and soap, but used sparingly. If it looks smeary, dust on some 
dry flour, and rub it with the hand, a flannel, or a soft leather. If it gets marked, 
rub it with a woolen cloth and a little sweet oil, or whiting and oil. Do not pour 
hot water on japanned ware, as it will make it crack and peel off. When scratched 
(if the scratch is not so deep as to go clear through the varnished surface) apply 
sweet oil and rub with the hand alone — that is the way the polish is first pro- 
duced, and will restore it. 

Japanning for Old Trays. — First clean the old trays thoroughly with soap 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 457 

and water and a little rotten stone; then dry them by wiping and exposure to 
the fire; next mix good copal varnish with bronze powder, and apply with a brush 
to the denuded parts; then set the trays in an oven at a heat of 212° to 300°, until 
the varnish is dry. Two coats will make old trays equal to new. 

Moorish Trays.— If not very dirty clean them by rubbing a little lemon juice 
over them. If very dirty put into hot water with a little soda and soap, and 
scrub clean with a soft brush; then lift out and pour on boiling water, and let 
them soak in this a little while; then dry carefully with a soft cloth, and rub 
with a very little olive oil. 

Plaster Casts. — To Clean. — Busts and statuettes may be cleaned by dipping 
them into a thick liquid starch; or apply a thin solution with a brush covering 
every part. Let it dry 3 or 4 days and carefully peel oft" the starch — the dirt will 
come with it. 

Plaster Casts may be Polished: (1) By coating them with white wax, and 
placing them before the fire until the wax is absorbed; a considerable polish can 
then be obtained by friction. (2) With a camel's hair pencil lay skimmed milk 
on the plaster till it will absorb no more. Shake or blow off any that remains 
on the surface, and lay the figure in a place perfectly free from dust; when dry 
it will look like polished marble. If the milk is not perfectly skimmed it will 
not answer the purpose. (3) Prepare a strong solution of alum water, dip in the 
figures, and they will look very much like alabaster when dry. (4) An old ivory 
tone can be imparted by diluting some orange shellac with a little alcohol, and 
applying several thin coats with a brush. (5) Plaster casts can be brushed over 
with graphite (a brilliant black lead) and they will then resemble genuine bronze 
very closely. 

A Varnish for Plaster of Paris Casts. — Take % oz. white soap, % oz. white 
wax, and 1 quart water; boil them together for a short time in a clean vessel; 
apply when cold with a soft brush. It does not sink in and it readily dries. 
Lightly rubbing afterwards with a soft silk handkerchief improves it. 

To Color Plaster Casts of Brackets, etc., Like Oak. — Saturate the cast with 
oil, and size it twice; then, in a saucer, rub down asphaltum with water till it is 
liquid, adding a few drops of spirits of wine to soften it, lay this on with a soft 
brush so as to imitate the graining of oak. When dry, varnish it. After apply- 
ing 2 coats of good copal varnish it will last for years; and can be cleaned by 
washing with soap and water. 

Plaster of paris mixed with vinegar instead of water will not harden for 20 
or 30 miriutes, instead of hardening at once as it does when mixed with water; 
the mass will be like putty, and can be handled and molded easily. 

Alabaster. — This may be cleaned with strong soap and water. If too much 
discolored make a paste of quicklime and water, cover the article with it, and 
leave it for 1 day; then wash off with soap and water, but apply hard rubbing to 
all stains. Or, having washed off all dirt and grease, wash with dilute muriatic 
acid. 

Brownstone.— Muriatic acid is used by masons to take out stains, and will 
remove most of them. Strong soda will often take out most of an oil stain; then 
rub with sandpaper. The green formation which sometimes troubles house- 
keepers in the cities can be removed by using a solution of 1 part carbolic acid to 
3 parts warm water. 

Jasper or Porphyry. — To clean it mix up a quantity of the strongest soap-lees 
with quicKlime to the consistency of milk, and lay it on the stone for 24 hours; 
then wash off and it will appear like new. It may be improved by afterwards 
rubbing with fine putty powder and olive oil. 

Marble. — To wash marble use a soft cloth or chamois skin, and warm water; 
if it is dirty add some ammonia to the water. Do not use soap on marble. 
Dry at once with soft flannel or chamois skin. For marble wash-basins, sink- 
fixtures, etc., use salt; it removes incrustations and deposits, and leaves the 
marble clean. Dust marble with a feather duster. 

To Clean Stained Marble. — (1) For light stains lemon juice will often be 
effectual, or use javelle water; then rinse clean. (2) Take 2 parts of soda, 1 part 
pumice stone, and 1 part finely powdered chalk; sift these through a fine sieve, 
and mix them into a paste with water. Rub this well over the marble with 
flannel, and the stains will be removed; then wash with ammonia and water and 

28 



458 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

it will leave a beautiful polish. (3) Mix with 34 P m t of soap-lees, and % gill of 
turpentine, sufficient pipe clay and bullock's gall to make the whole into a rather 
thick paste; apply it with a soft brush, and leave it on 1 or 2 days; when quite 
dry rub it off with a soft rag. If needed, repeat 2 or 3 times or until the marble 
is quite clean. (4) Mix quicklime and strong soap lye to the consistency of thin 
cream; apply and leave on 1 day; wash off with soapsuds. (5) Mix 1 part bluing 
and 2 parts whiting (both powdered) and % lb- s °ft soap; bring to a boil, and 
while hot apply to the stained marble, using a soft cloth; leave on till dry; then 
wash off with hot water and soap and a little salts of lemon added; rub dry with 
flannel, and the marble will look like new. 

The above preparations will take off surface stains, but if the stains have gone 
deeper and formed chemical combinations with the marble it may be necessary 
to grind it down to a fresh surface and repolish. 

For black marble, spirits of turpentine may be used. 

If grey marble hearths are disfigured with spots rub them with linseed oil. 

Spots from Sulphur and Phosphorous on marble, caused by lucifer matches, 
can be extracted with carbon bisulphide, which can be bought at any drug 
store. 

Ink Stains or Iron Mould may be removed from marble as follows: (1) 
Take % oz. butter of antimony and 1 oz. oxalic acid; dissolve in 1 pint rain water; 
add enough flour to bring the mixture to the proper consistency. Lay it evenly 
on the stained part with a brush; leave a few days, and wash off. Repeat if the 
stain be not wholly removed. (2) Moisten iron stains with vitrol or oxalic 
acid; if they do not come out readily leave it on half an hour or so; then wash off 
thoroughly. (3) Iron rust can often be removed with lemon juice, or lemon 
juice and vitrol mixed in equal parts. 

To Remove Grease Spots from Marble. — (1) Make a paste of powdered 
pipe clay and fuller's earth; mix with strong soap lye; lay a thick coating on the 
marble, and pass a moderately hot flat-iron over it lightly until it is dry. Leave 
a short time, and wash off with clean water. Repeat the process if necessary un- 
til all grease is removed. (2) Make a paste of whiting and potash; lay on, 
leave a day or so, and brush off. (3) Make a paste of lime, pearlash and water; 
spread it on, leave several hours, and brush off. Repeat several times if neces- 
sary. (4) For oil spots apply either common clay or calcined magnesia, satu- 
rated with benzine; leave till thoroughly dry, and brush off. (5) Mix caustic 
soda or potash and quicklime, and apply. 

To Clean Smoke from Marble. — (1) Mix chloride of lime and water to a 
thin paste, and apply it with a brush to the smoky place; leave it one or two mo- 
ments, and wash off with hot soapsuds. (2) Use the first recipe given for re- 
moving grease spots. (3) Rub the smoky place quickly and vigorously with 
a flannel dipped in strong ammonia; then take hot soapsuds and wash it off. (4) 
For the smoke stains from bituminous coal or kindling wood, mix whiting and 
washing soda, and moisten them with barely water enough to make a paste; rub 
the spots with flannel dipped in this, and then leave it on for several hours; then 
rub off and repeat if necessary. When the spots are gone wash with clean soap- 
suds, wipe dry, and polish with a chamois skin or flannel. 

Aeids on Marble. — Marble being composed of carbonate of lime (and so of an 
alkoline nature) any strong acid spilled on it will attack it actively, and if the 
action is not checked at once will roughen the surface. The prompt application 
of ammonia, soda, or other alkali will neutralize the acid and stop its action, or if 
these are not at hand apply water freely to dilute the acid. If the surface is 
roughened, nothing but repolishing will remove it. For the above reason any 
strong acid should be used very cautiously about marble. 

Scratches on marble which make it look disfigured, will usually disappear if 
they are rubbed hard with wet whiting; then wash and wipe dry. 

A sort of scum is often noticed in marble wash basins. Rubbing with salt 
will take it all off readily, and leave the basin clean and bright. 

To Polish Marble. — (1) Grind it down with fine sand and water, using a fine 
sand stone; then wrap a piece of felt around a flat stone or iron, dip it in 
fine emery powder, and polish out all scratches; finish with putty powder and 
flannel rags. (2) If in removing stains the polish of marble is deadened, re- 
polish with oxide of tin and water, applied with a cloth; or rub with chalk wet 
with water to give a gloss, 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 459 

Marble Statues. — (1) Dust these carefully every day with a feather duster; 
in summer cover them with gauze. If they become fly-specked, wipe them off 
with alcohol, but soap and warm water should not be used. Improper washing 
often yellows fine statues. Do not handle them with the bare hand as the oil in 
the hand discolors them. If properly cared for they will not need washing more' 
than 2 or 3 times a year; then use pure cold water and a painter's brush. (2) 
Care must be taken not to scratch polished marble; it can be washed carefully 
with a brush and warm water and ammonia; then rinse with clear cold water, and 
wipe dry. Unpolished marble can be carefully washed with "Sapolio." 

Marble busts which are soiled should never be washed with soap — that injures 
them; use instead very weak muriatic acid, in cold water. 

To prevent statues, busts, etc., from marring any furniture they rest on, cut a 
piece of plush, velvet, or silk, the same shape, but a little smaller than the statue 
or bust, and put that under it. It will prevent scratching but will not show. 

Marble Ornaments. — These should never be cleaned with soap and water. A 
strong solution of borax will often clean them when slightly discolored. If badly 
stained or discolored they can be restored by using a paste made of 2 parts com- 
mon washing soda, and 1 part each of powdered chalk and powdered pumice 
stone. 

Artificial Marble.— -This is made with plaster of paris, ground glass, and . 
milk, which, when thoroughly dried, can be rubbed smooth with sand paper, and 
then polished with emery and oil. 

Marble may easily be colored beautiful tints. A solution of nitrate of silver 
gives a deep color. Nitro-muriate of gold gives a beautiful violet purple. A solu- 
tion of verdigris gives a clear green. Solutions of dragon's blood give a beautiful 
red. Orpiment dissolved in ammonia gives a yellow. Verdigris, boiled in wax, 
and applied hot, gives a fine emerald. 

Slate. — Some people prefer slate hearths to marble, as they are not soiled so 
easily and are more readily kept clean. They can be washed clean with warm 
water and a flannel cloth. They are improved by being oiled thoroughly with 
linseed oil, as they will not then show grease. 

Soapstone or Sandstone. Hearths are often made of these. To clean them 
first wash with clean water; then take a piece of the stone with a flat face, 3 or 
4 inches square, and, having sprinkled on powdered soapstone or marble, scour 
the hearth till clean. 

Stone. — (1) To remove grease from stone steps or passages, pour strong soda 
and boiling water over the spot, and lay on fuller's earth made into a thin paste 
with boiling water; leave all night. Repeat the process if any grease remains. 
(2) Grease may sometimes be taken out by using sand and very hot water, with 
soap and soda, and rubbing them on with a hard stone. (3) Same as No. 1, given 
for taking grease from marble. 

To Clean Stone Steps, Window -Sills, Etc. — Wet flannel dipped in mason's dust 
is excellent. Bath-brick is used by many, and is good. An old wash, not so 
white as the foregoing, but which does not so readily come off, is 1 lb. pipe- 
maker's clay, 1 quart of water and 1 quart of beer boiled together, and a bit of 
stone blue added. Wash with this, and when dry rub with a flannel and brush. 

Grindstones. — Wet the stone by dropping on water from a pot suspended above 
it, and stop off the water when not in use. Do not let it stand in water when not 
in use, as that causes soft spots. Clean off all greasy tools before sharpening 
them, as the grease or oil destroys the grit. 

Tiles. — Wash with clean soft water, soft soap and flannel cloths. Have the 
latter free from grease. Never use a scrubbing brush. If the tiles get stained 
apply a little muriatic acid with a clean rag, and then wash thoroughly with 
clean water. Take off grease with some alkali, like pearlash and water. 

Encaustic tiles should be washed once or twice a week with skimmed milk; it 
is much better than soap for them. 

Rubber. — To soften Old Rubber. — When rubber rings, such as are used on 
fruit jars, become hard and brittle, restore them by soaking in a solution of 2 
parts water to 1 part ammonia or soda; soak until their elasticity is restored, 
which is from 5 to 30 minutes usually. Other old soft rubber articles can be 
softened the same way. 

Wringing -Machine Rollers.— When the rubber rollers of wringing-machines. 



460 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

become sticky or stained by colored clothes, clean them with kerosene, or by 
running through them a cloth wet with kerosene. 

To Prevent India-rubber Articles from Becoming Hard and Cracking.— Pre- 
pare melted parafnne at 212° and put in the articles, leaving them from a few 
seconds to several minutes, according to their size; then take out and dry in a 
hot room at 212° F. 

Rubber hose which has become hard can be softened by dipping it in petro- 
leum; then hang up for 48 hours, letting the oil drip off; repeat 2 or 3 times. 

To Preserve the Elasticity of India-rubber. — Wash it about 5 or 6 times a 
year with slightly alkaline water, like ammonia and water or soda and water. 

To Cut Rubber. — Use a wet knife. Dipping the instrument used in soda or 
potash lye will aid in piercing or cutting rubber corks. 

Old hard India-rubber may be softened again by letting the vapor of carbon 
bisulphide act upon it; remove from the vapor as soon as it becomes soft. 

Faded rubber goods can be varnished by diluting black Japan varnish with 
linseed oil until thin enough for the purpose; or use a thin shellac varnish, colored 
with lamp black for black goods. 

To Mend a Mackintosh. — Get at the store a piece of the same material of which 
the mackintosh is made, and cut out a suitable patch. Buy or make some India- 
rubber cement (we give recipe elsewhere) and apply a little on each side of the 
torn part, and also on the patch; when it begins to feel tacky, bring the edges 
together, adjust the patch nicely, and lay on a weight to hold it in position. 
Leave for several days, until quite hard. 

Mend rubber overshoes, etc., with the rubber cement given among the 
"Cements." 

Mackintoshes can without detriment be carried about in a roll or strap, but 
when not in use they should be opened out so that the air can have access to 
them; if kept rolled up, they will become sticky and unpleasant. When one has 
been wet, spread it out to dry, but do not put it near the fire. To remove spots 
of mud from a mackintosh try spirits of wine, though it is not always successful. 

Sponges. — To keep sponges in condition always squeeze them dry after use, 
and never let them stand in soapy water. Clean them as follows: (1) When 
sponges get greasy let them dry, and then work them with a little turpentine; 
after a few minutes wash them with a little soap and water and a little soda. 
This will make them quite clean, with little trouble. (2) Place the sponge in a 
basin, completely cover it with bran, pour boiling water over it, and cover the 
basin to prevent the steam from escaping. Let stand till cold, and rinse it thor- 
oughly in cold water; wring out all the water with a towel, dry, and it will be 
clean. (3) When sour, rub fresh lemon juice into it thoroughly; then rinse it a 
number of times in tepid water, and it will be sweet and clean. (4) If washed about 
once a week in tepid water containing borax and ammonia, and then dried in the 
open air and sunlight, they will keep clean and fresh. (5) Prepare a solution of 
water and potash permanganate, strengthened to a wine color; soak the sponge in 
this for some time; take out, squeeze, and next immerse in a solution of 10 parts 
water to 1 part muriatic acid, and let soak for some time; then squeeze out the 
acid and wash thoroughly in clean water. Thus treated, even photographic 
sponges can be perfectly cleaned and their color restored. (6) Either citric acid 
or sulphuric acid (about 2 tablespoons to a pint of water) will clean sponges 
nicely. Steep them about 2 hours, and then wash clean. (7) Soak in milk 12 or 
15 hours; then rinse thoroughly in cold water, and dry. 

New sponges which are hard and gritty may be cleaned and softened for use 
by first working thoroughly in cold water, then boiling in clean water for % hour, 
then taking out and working in cold water again ; and repeat this operation 3 or 
4 times, until the grit is gone. Do not boil too long at any time, or the sponge 
will become tender and rotten. 

Whalebones. — By merely soaking them for a few hours in water, and then 
drying them, bent whalebones can be restored and used again. When putting 
them in the casings it is an excellent idea to make them flexible and conform to 
the figure, by soaking them in warm water for a few minutes, which softens 
them. 

Tobacco Pipes. — A simple and effective method of cleaning them is to fit in a 
thin cork, with a hole cut in the center, and let the water from the faucet run 
through the pipe till it is cleaned. 



All about the house. 



m 



This will not weaken it at all. 



feope. — New rope, if boiled in water 2 or 3 hours, will be cured of its annoying 
stiffness and made pliable; then hang_it up, until fully dry, in a warm room, and 
keep it from kinking while drying. 
It is always convenient to know 
how to fasten ropes, and yet few 
people know how to make the best 
knots. We give a few. To fasten 
a rope to a pole, use the "fisher- 
man's bend," used by sailors. To 
make it, pass the rope twice around 
the pole or rod; then take a "half 
hitch" around the long part of the 
rope, as at 1; then thrust the end 
under the 2 turns, as at 2, 3, and 
last loop the end about the long 
part, as at 4. The turns are clearly 
shown in Pig. 1. To fasten two ends 
of rope, use the "sheet bend," so 
called. To make it, form a "horse- 




Fig. 1. 
Fisherman's Bend. 



Fig. 3. 
Carrick Bend. 



shoe" with one end of the rope, as b. b.; then pass the other rope through 
the loop, or horse-shoe; then around and behind both parts of the other rope; 
then back under itself, as at 1; see Fig. 2. Another good knot is known as the 
"carrick bend." To make it, form one end of a rope into a loop, a. a., techni- 
cally known as a "bight." Then put the end of the other rope through the 
"bight" as at 1; around behind the other rope, as at 2; then through in front of 
the other end as at 3; then back through the "bight" as shown at 4; see Fig 3. It 
makes a very strong knot. 



GLASS, CHINA, EARTHENWARE, ETC. 

Windows. — Wash windows when the sun does not shine on them — in pleasant 
weather, but during that part of the day when the sun does not strike them is 
the best time, or choose a cloudy but not rainy day. If the sun shines on them 
while being washed they dry so rapidly that it is almost impossible to avoid hav- 
ing them streaked, because they dry partially before they can be wiped. Wash 
the inside first, and then the imperfections can be seen easily from the outside. 
Use clean rain water, and add enough ammonia to make it feel slippery. Get the 
dirt out of the corners with a cloth wrapped over a piece of wood, then rinse, and 
then polish the glass with newspaper, tissue paper or chamois skin; the two last 
are best. This is the best way, making the glass beautifully clear. Whiting is 
good to clean windows with; so is alcohol, and so is soda. Benzine, with enough 
calcined magnesia added to make a thick milk, is excellent. Any of the above 
are better than soap. 

Paint, mortar and whiteivash may be taken off of windows with sharp hot 
vinegar; if fresh, cold vinegar will do. Diluted muriatic acid will cut them also. 
Soda dissolved in hot water, and applied with a flannel, will take off paint well; 
so will camphene and sand — but don't scratch the glass. Ammonia is also used, 
and a mixture of ammonia and turpentine is good. Scrape it with the edge of a 
penny or dime. 

Old putty on windoiv frames can be easily removed by first passing a red hot 
iron over it to soften it. Or, apply mixture No. 6 given for removing dry paint 
on wood. Apply thickly on both sides, and leave on 10 or 15 hours. Or, put 
on soft soap, and leave it on several hours; it will soften the putty enough to cut 
readily with a knife. 

Tar on glass will be cut by the mixture No. 6 given for removing dry paint 
on wood. Or, use 3 parts potash and 1 part unslacked lime. 

When windows become steamed,ov covered with condensed moisture in frosty 
weather, a very thin coat of glycerine applied on both sides will cure it. If 
rubbed with a flannel dipped in alcohol it will keep them free from ice. 

When a xvindow does not close tightly it is easily remedied by putting some 
putty along the sill, and some chalk on the sash; then close the window as tightly 



462 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

as possible. The chalk will prevent the putty from adhering to the sash, and 
the putty which squeezes out may be scraped away with a knife. This will make 
it tight. 

Window sills which are stained by flower pots can be cleaned by scouring 
them with fine wood ashes; then rinse thoroughly with cold water. 

Mirrors. — These may be cleaned with ammonia and water as explained for 
windows. Spirits of wine, gin, prepared chalk, whiting and tripoli are all used, 
and are all good. A muslin bag containing powdered bluing, dusted lightly over 
the glass while it is damp, and then polished off quickly, produces a fine result. 
So does whiting. Ammonia is the best thing. 

Creases on Mirrors. — Never allow a mirror to be heated by a stove, nor let 
the sun shine directly on it — the amalgam will be granulated by either, and give 
the mirror a creased or scratched appearance. This is the cause of the checked 
appearance of their mirrors which sometimes surprises people. 

To Silver Mirrors. — Spread a sheet of tin foil on a smooth table; then rub 
mercury on it till the 2 metals are incorporated. Lay the plate of glass upon it, 
and load it with weights, which will press out the excess of mercury from the 
tin foil; in 2 or 3 days it will adhere to the glass and convert it into a mirror. 
About 2 oz. mercury are enough to cover 3 square feet of glass. For concave and 
convex mirrors an amalgam is used composed of 2 parts mercury, 1 part tin, 1 
part lead and 1 part bismuth. 

Clean the frames of mirrors as explained for picture frames. 

Glassware. — To Anneal Class. — Dishes, tumblers, and other glass articles, 
may be annealed so that they will not readily break from sudden changes of 
temperature, etc., thus: put them in cold salt water, set on the stove and bring 
to a boil; let boil a short time, take off the stove, and allow them to cool slowly. 

To Wash Glassware. — The best thing to use is soft water, ammonia, and a 
chamois skin. Wash it with the chamois skin, then rinse it, wring it dry, and 
wipe with the same skin. It leaves no lint, and the glass will be beautifully 
bright. Tissue paper is the next best thing to wipe glass with. Alcohol, soda, 
borax, powdered chalk and whiting are all used and work well, but ammonia is 
best. Don't use soap — the other things are better. 

Stains on Glass.— Stains of tea, lime and other things can be taken off of 
glass by rubbing with a flannel cloth dampened in ammonia and dipped in whit- 
ing. Hydrochloric acid will take off any stains from glass, and nothing else is so 
effective. Take a basin and put in 1 part acid and 4 parts water, and let the 
article soak in it a few minutes (if very dirty a little longer) and on taking out it 
will only need rinsing and drying. Be careful not to drop the undiluted acid on 
the clothes or hands. 

For paint stains moisten with washing soda dissolved in warm water; let soak 
a little while, and wash off. See also "Windows" and "Paint." 

Pitch and tar may be cut from glass with a little sulphuric acid. 

To clean glass and porcelain vessels from the greatest variety of organic sub- 
stances, a mixture of sulphuric acid and bichromate of potash is superior to 
ether, benzine, or anything else. This will also clean photographic glass plates 
when other things fail. 

To clean parian china mix together in boiling water 1 part whiting and 3 
parts potash, making it into a thick paste; apply to the china with a soft brush, 
leave on 3 or 4 hours, and wash off with a sponge and warm water. 

China, majolica and earthenware, which is disfigured by little cracks and 
checks, may be restored by boiling them in milk. 

Marking one's name on white dishes, etc., can be done with a pen and common 
black ink, and it will be some time before it washes off. 

China and Porcelain. — If china or porcelain is discolored with iron, muriatic 
acid will clean it; then rinse off with water. 

Porcelain or china which is tea stained or discolored, by careless washing, can 
be cleaned by rubbing with a flannel cloth moistened with ammonia and dipped 
in whiting. Or rub with a damp cloth dipped in salt. 

Cups discolored brown by using them for baking, can be cleaned with whiting 
and flannel as above. Or rub with scouring sand or salt. 

Carafes and Decanters which have become so discolored inside that shot, sand 
or fine coals will not cleanse them can be filled with finely chopped potato skins; 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 463 

let stand 3 or 4 days and the skins will ferment; then rinse with water and the 
glass will be clear. 

A dirty porcelain sauce-pan may be cleaned, and all odors of fish and onions 
removed, by filling half full of water, putting in a moldy lemon, and boiling for 
% hour. Sal ammoniac boiled an hour or so in a sauce-pan will clean it also. 

To remove disagreeable odors from porcelain or china see what we recom- 
mend for glass bottles. 

Porcelain sauce-pans may be cleaned by filling them half full of water, putting 
in some borax, and boiling; if any stains are left scour with soap and borax on a 
cloth; or use whiting, scouring sand,sapolio or brick dust. Repeat if necessary. 

A browned porcelain kettle may be nicely cleaned by boiling peeled potatoes 
in it. If anything becomes burned onto such a kettle, put in wood ashes and 
water and boil % hour; then scour with brick dust or sand; repeat if necessary. 

Preserve jars can be cleaned by letting water containing soda or ammonia soak 
in them. Stains may be removed as advised for vinegar cruits and decanters. 

Tumblers. — Do not put tumblers, which have contained milk, directly into 
hot water, as it makes the milk adhere to the glass so that it is difficult to re- 
move; rinse them first in tepid water. 

Glass Globes, to Clean. — Rub them inside with a damp cloth, dipped in powdered 
pumice stone; rinse and dry with a chamois skin. Borax is also used, but is 
not so good. 

To Clean Vinegar and Sauce Cruets— Proceed as advised for decanters — 3d 
method. 

To Frost Glass. — Take equal parts of Epsom salts and sour beer and boil 
them together; paint this on the glass while hot. It can be washed off readily 
when desired. 

Imitation of Ground Glass. — Prepare a hot saturated solution of Epsom salts, 
Glauber's salts, or sal ammoniac. Apply either to the glass with a brush while 
hot, and on cooling it will form a beautiful and perfect screen. Let the water 
take up all the salt it will possibly dissolve to make the saturated solution. Four 
sided prisms will be formed by the Epsom salts; six sided prisms by the Glauber's 
salts, and thread like crystals by the sal ammoniac. 

Decanters. To clean them: (l)Take a handful of tea leaves and 1 or 2 table- 
spoons of vinegar; shake well together, and put into any furred glass, shake it 
about and it will clean it nicely. (2) If stained with port wine, put in some 
crushed egg shells or charcoal, and some warm water and pearlash, to which a 
little fresh slacked lime is added. Shake it about till the stains are gone. (3) 
Soak in warm soda and water for hours; then use a brush to scrub the dirt out 
of the cut work outside. Cut a potato into small dice, put some inside, with 
some warm water, and shake till the stains disappear; then rinse in cold water 
and drain until dry. (4) The crust from port or other wine may be cut out with 
a little muriatic acid, diluted and left in for some time. 

Incrustations or Coatings Caused by Hard Water. — These may be removed 
from a carafe, or any glass, china, or porcelain ware, by rinsing it with water to 
which a little hydrochloric (muriatic) acid is added; it cuts the alkaline incrust- 
ations so that it easily comes off. 

Bottles, to Clean. — Make a lye by boiling equal quantities of soda and quick- 
lime. When cold, put this in the bottles with crushed egg shells, small pieces 
of marble, charcoal or crushed bones, and shake. Coarse sand and tacks are 
sometimes used, but are liable to scratch the glass. Afterwards rinse and drain 
thoroughly, then warm, and blow into the bottles with a pair of bellows to dry 
them. They will be as bright as new. Shot are often used, but as the lead is 
liable to stick to the glass it is not as good as the other things recommended 
above. Hot soapsuds is sometimes used in place of the lye but does not leave 
the glass as bright. 

Bottles if oily or otherwise greasy should not be washed with water, but 
should have some strong alkali, like pearlash, put in them; then wipe them out 
with tow or cloth on a wire. Diluted nitric or sulphuric acid will also elean oily 
flasks. 

Bottles soiled with resin,turpentine, or resinous varnishes, can be washed with 
a strong alkaline solution, and wiped out with tow or cloth on a wire. Or use sul- 
phuric or nitric acid. 



464 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

To Clean a Photographic "Silver Bottle."— Pour in a strong solution of potas* 
sium cyanide (a deadly poison), shake a few times, pour out, rinse 2 or 3 times 
with clear water, and the bottle will be perfectly clean. 

To remove disagreeable odors, like those from musk or cod-liver oil, put in some 
hot olive oil or sesame; also flax-seed meal, or any of the oily seeds, when pow- 
dered and mixed with water, answer the purpose excellently. Mustard or bitter 
almonds will remove many odors from bottles or glass. 

Bottles which have contained petroleum should be washed with a thin warm 
milk of lime; it forms an emulsion with the petroleum and removes every trace of 
it. If washed a second time with the milk of lime and a little lime chloride added, 
even the smell will be completely removed. 

In packing bottles they may be prevented from breaking by slipping India 
rubber bands over them, which keep them from touching each other. 

To Remove Glass Stoppers. — (1) Tapping the stopper on a piece of wood, first 
on one side and then the other, will often start it. (2) Dip one end of a cloth in 
hot water and wrap it around the neck of the bottle; the heat expands the neck 
and the stopper can be removed, but remove the stopper as soon as the neck 
expands, and before the heat expands the stopper also. (3) Apply oil, water, or 
muriatic acid to the top of the neck around the stopper; then warm near the fire 
for a time. (4) Inverting a bottle for 2 or 3 nights in a pan of water deep enough 
to cover its neck merely, will often succeed when other means fail. (5) Put 
vinegar in a tumbler, insert the neck and leave for a while; then apply the hot 
cloth as above, and it will often start. (6) When hot water is not convenient the 
neck can be heated enough to release the stopper by wrapping a cord once around 
and "sawing" back and foith. 

Corks. — When corks are too large to go in readily, let them soak in hot water 
until softened a little. They can be made air and water tight by keeping them 
for 5 minutes in melted paraffine, but hold them completely under with a screen 
or other device. 

For a water-tight cement for corks, see the rubber cement given among our 
cements. 

To preserve corks" from insects, dip the heads of bottles, after being corked, 
into quicklime, slacked into a paste, and let it harden on. Petroleum is some- 
times used, but is not so good. 

To Cut Glass. — A simple and easy way to cut glass bottles, etc., is to wind 
cotton twine around them 2 or 3 times, just below where they are to be cut in 
two; then saturate the twine with turpentine or alcohol, by dropping it on slowly, 
and then set it on fire. When nearly burned out, pour on a little cold water. The 
glass will separate as evenly as if cut with a diamond. Or, make a mark with a 
file where you want to begin the cut, then take a poker or iron with the end 
pointed, heat it red hot, and starting at the file mark, draw it along the glass; a 
crack will follow wherever the iron is carried. Old bottles may in this way be 
converted into jelly jars, etc. Window glass held under water, can be cut with a 
strong pair of shears, although it is not generally known. 

To Pulverize Glass. — Heat it red, and at once plunge it into cold water; the 
sudden cooling makes it pulverize more readily. 

Earthenware and stoneware before being used, should be put in cold water, 
brought to a boil for a short time, and then taken off the fire and allowed to cool 
gradually. If, when the water is boiling, some wheat or rye bran is thrown in, 
it will preserve the glazing so that salt and acid will less readily destroy it. 

Crockery ornamented with gilt bands, flowers, etc., should be washed as 
quickly as convenient, rinsed, and left to drain until dry— it should not be wiped. 

Varnish for Earthenware Vessels. — Take equal quantities of soda and pulver- 
ized glass, mix and dry it over a strong fire; have the vessel hot also when it is 
applied. 

Spectacles. — Wipe them with an old silk handkerchief or chamois skin, as that 
will not scratch them. If slightly soiled, breathe on the glass and wipe it; if 
much soiled, wash with ammonia, which is the best thing to use. Be careful not 
to bend the frames, as that will alter the focus of the lenses, and the eyes will 
suffer as a result. 



All about the house\ 465 

lamps, matches, etc. 

Lamps. — A lamp should be kept scrupulously clean. The receiver should be 
emptied of the old oil occasionally and cleaned out. The best way is to put in 
hot soda and water and some crushed egg-shells, and shake well; this will clean 
off all incrustations; then empty it out, and dry it perfectly, for if any water 
remains the lamp will sputter. When lamps stand for hours half filled or less, 
an oil vapor rises which mingles with the air in the upper part of the lamp and 
forms an explosive gas. For this reason a nearly empty lamp should not be 
lighted. Many of the lamp explosions are caused by ignorance and carelessness 
in this regard. Fill lamps daily, so that there may be no room in them for this 
explosive gas, and fill them in the daytime, and not at night near a lighted lamp. 
An oil. lamp should not be filled quite full, nor allowed to burn too low. If the 
oil has been stored in a cold place and the receiver is filled full, as the oil warms 
it will expand and run over. 

Never turn down a light for economy's sake. Nothing is saved, as the oil will 
feed up the wick faster than it is consumed, and it will smoke or smell, or both, 
and become a distinct source of danger, as the lamp heats rapidly. If a dim 
light is wanted in a sickroom, it is better to set the lamp in another room, or 
shade it, than to turn it down. When the edge of the flame is orange color, proper 
combustion is not taking place. Dirty burners, badly-fitting wicks, and neglect 
about filling are the 3 principal things to guard against. Burn any rags which 
are used about lamps and thus saturated with oil, to prevent any possibility of 
spontaneous combustion. 

The wick should fit the burner perfectly, and should neither be too thick, too 
thin nor too narrow; if only a little too wide 1 or 2 threads can be pulled out 
near the selvage edge without harm. Wicks should be changed often or they 
will become clogged and prevent the free passage of the oil. They can be washed 
in strong, hot soapsuds, adding ammonia to the rinsing water, if it is desired to 
clean and use them again. Soaking a wick in vinegar and then drying it thoroughly 
before use, will prevent its smoking. A wick clogged with oil may also be 
cleaned by boiling it in vinegar and water; dry thoroughly before using it. 
Wicks steeped in a concentrated aqueous solution of tungstate of soda, and then 
dried thoroughly in the oven, will be almost indestructible. A wick should be 
long enough to just touch the bottom of the lamp. 

The best way of trimming a wick is to turn it down to nearly a level with the 
wick tube, and then rub across it with the finger or a match; this is better than 
cutting it with scissors. If the light burns unevenly, it is because the wick is 
trimmed unevenly. Trim the wick square across, and any little unevenness not 
removed by the finger can be trimmed off with scissors. Be very careful not 
to let the charred part of the wick fall into the burner when trimming it. 

The burners should be cleaned once a month. Wash them in soap and water, 
and then boil them for a little while in soda and water. Some people use for this 
purpose the water in which beans have been boiled, and it answers very well. 
Then rinse the burners, and dry them perfectly, before the wicks are put in. 
Nickel burners may be boiled as well as brass ones. Rubbing burners every few 
days with whiting, or with kerosene on a woolen cloth, will clean them well. The 
little air holes should be kept open to secure a good draught of air, for a plenty 
of fresh air is essential to a good blaze. Much of the trouble with student-lamps, 
and other similar and costly lamps, is that the oil which accumulates in the cup 
below the wick is not emptied out; it should be done every day to secure a clear 
flame. 

Burn None but the Best Kerosene. — You can test it by pouring a little in a 
saucer; apply a lighted match or taper, and if it does not ignite readily it is good. 
Keep oil in. a cool, dark place. 

When a lamp is lighted turn it up gradually so as not to heat the chimney too 
suddenly; then turn it as high as it will go with a white flame, and without 
smoking. When a lamp is put out leave the wick down below the top of the 
tube; otherwise the oil will work up the wick and run over on the burner and 
lamp and make them greasy. 

Lamp Chimneys and Shades. — If the chimneys are put into cold water to 
which some common table salt is added, then heated gradually and well boiled 



466 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

for x /i to 1 hour and then allowed to cool slowly, they will crack less easily and 
be much more durable. Keep all lamp glasses very bright and clear. Ammonia 
and water is the best thing for washing chimneys — much better than soapsuds 
which makes them look dull; if only slightly soiled breathe on them and then 
wipe. The steam from the nose of a rapidly boiling tea-kettle cleans them well. 
A piece of sponge on a flexible whalebone is as good as anything for cleaning the 
inside of either chimneys or lamps. 

Smoked lamp glasses washed until the stains are gone in warm soda and 
water to which a little ammonia is added will look as bright as new. Lamp chim- 
neys which have been neglected and become much spotted and stained may be 
cleaned thoroughly with hydrochloric or sulphuric acid and soda. For wiping 
chimneys, newspaper, tissue paper or chamois skin are much better than cloth. 

To clean ground glass shades use curd soap, soda and water; scrub them 
with a nail brush, and it will take off all smoke; rinse them thoroughly with clean 
tepid water and set aside to drain and dry, but do not wipe them with anything, 
nor touch them with the hand till dry. Warm them a few minutes by the fire 
before screwing them in place; handle them with a clean cloth or paper. 

After filling and cleaning lamps and chimneys roll up pieces of newepaper 
in the form of cones and set over them; it will keep off dust and dirt, and when 
wanted they will be clean and bright. 

A cement for lamp tops may be made by boiling 3 parts resin and ] part of 
caustic soda, in 5 parts of water. This forms a soap, which when mixed with half 
its weight of plaster of paris, sets in about % hour. It is very adhesive and not 
permeable by kerosene -it is made much better than the plain plaster of paris 
ordinarily used. Or, use melted alum; apply as soon as melted; as soon as cold 
the lamp may be used. 

Substitute for Lamps. — The following ingenious substitute for a lamp maybe 
made by any one, and it is especially useful about magazines or where inflam- 
mable materials are kept. Take an oblong vial of the clearest and whitest glass, 
and put into it a piece of phosphorus about the size of a pea. Pour some olive 
oil, heated to the boiling point, upon the phosphorus, filling the vial about % 
full; then cork it tightly. To use the light, remove the cork and allow the air to 
enter the vial, and then re-cork it. The empty space in the vial will become lumi- 
nous, the light equaling that of a lamp. When the light grows dim, renew it by 
taking out the cork and admitting a fresh supply of air. In winter it may be 
necessary to heat the vial between the hands to increase the fluidity of the oil. 
This apparatus may be used 6 months. 

Smoked Ceilings. — The smoke of a kerosene lamp may be washed from a ceiling 
with a strong solution of soda and water. 

Matches. — These should be safely guarded and kept in metallic boxes out of 
the way of children and mice; many accidents will be prevented thereby. 

Scratching Matches. — It is very annoying to have heedless people scratch 
matches on wood work, and when one mark is made others quickly follow, but if 
the spot is rubbed with a flannel saturated with any liquid vaseline, people can 
neither light matches there nor scratch the paint, however often they may try; 
and, singularly enough, the petroleum causes the existing marks to soon disap- 
pear, at least on dark paint. 

Candles. — A candle which it is desired to burn all night in a sickroom or 
elsewhere, should have finely powdered salt put on top until it reaches the 
blackened part of the wick; thus treated, even a small piece will burn all night, 
with a mild, steady flame. 

In blowing out a candle hold it well above the mouth and blow it out from 
below, instead of holding it down in the usual way, and blowing it out from 
above; this will prevent it from smouldering. 

To Clean Candlesticks. — Instead of heating them before the fire to melt the 
grease, pour on boiling water; this will soften it enough to be rubbed off with a 
rag, without danger of melting the solder or doing other injury; then, if china, 
wash; if plated, polish with plate powder. 

METALS AND METAL WARE. 
Aluminum. — Kerosene or tripoli, applied while the vessels are warm, are 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 467 

about the best things for cleaning aluminum cooking utensils. Discolorations 
of any kind can be removed by putting & oz. nitric acid in 1 quart of water, and 
boiling it hard in the vessel for % hour. This metal is not affected by the sulphur 
compounds which blacken silver so much. It does not rust or corrode, and it 
retains its luster in the air, whether moist or dry, for any length of time. Hot 
water produces not the slighest effect on it, but alkaline solutions act on it, and 
therefore spoons, forks, etc., can be cleaned and whitened with soap; or soap and 
water made strong with soda, or with liquid ammonia, or with a heated solution 
of potash. The strong or caustic alkalies consume it rapidly, but as the mild 
acids, like acetic, malic, citric, or oxalic which are found in foods do not affect it, 
it is admirably adapted for making cooking utensils. It is without doubt the 
best metal at present known for that purpose. It is acted on slowly by muriatic 
acid, but sulphuric or nitric acid does not affect it, unless the nitric acid is very 
hot. 

Brass. — To Clean. — There are a great variety of methods for cleaning brass; 
we give some of the best and most convenient methods for our reader's use. 
(1) Rub with strong vinegar; then remove the acid by washing with hot water, and 
rub with dry whiting. (2) Mix pulverized rottenstone into a paste with oil of tur- 
pentine; rub on with a soft leather, leave a few minutes, and wipe with a soft cloth. 
(3) Dissolve 1 oz. oxalic acid in 1 pint soft water; rub on with a piece of flannel, and 
polish off with another dry piece. (Use only occasionally.) (4) Use the water pota- 
toes have been boiled in (peels and all); strain it, and wash the brass in it. (Said 
to be good.) (5) Apply whey or sour milk several times; then scour it with a 
woolen cloth dipped in ashes. (6) Rub it with rottenstone and oil; finish with 
dry whiting or ammonia. (7) Pour very strong ammonia over it; then scrub it 
thoroughly with a brush; in 5 minutes it should become as clear, bright and 
shiny as new metal; then rinse in clear water and wipe dry. An excellent way to 
clean old brass. (8) A small portion of sal ammoniac, beaten into a fine powder, 
moistened with soft water, rubbed over brass ornaments, heated over a charcoal 
fire, and rubbed dry with bran or whiting, will give them the brilliancy of gold. (9) 
Use salt and vinegar mixed. For greatly discolored brass kettles, first scour 
with ashes and soap; then boil the vinegar and salt in the kettle; then rub, and 
rinse thoroughly. (10) Take 1 oz. oil of vitriol, % giH sweet oil, 1 gill pulverized 
rottenstone, 1% pints rain water; mix, and shake well when used. Apply with a 
rag; then polish well with flannel or chamois. (11) Take 1 part starch, 12 parts 
powdered rottenstone, 5 parts sweet oil, and 2 parts oxalic acid, and mix them 
all into a stiff paste with cold water. Rub this on with flannel, and polish with a 
leather. 

The great objection made to all the strong acid mixtures used for clea.ning brass is that 
they eat away the metal, which is true. It is objected to the rottenstone preparations, 
when used about machinery and Instruments, that they work into joints, etc., and clog 
their action. 

To Clean Lacquered Brass. — -Lay it in hot strong soda and water, and brush 
it well over with soap. Lift it out and lay it as it is, all soapy, in a pan, and pour 
absolutely boiling water on it. Let it steep for 1 or 2 minutes, then lift it out 
and throw it into cold water to enable you to handle it; then dry it carefully. It 
should require neither rubbing nor polishing. If the brass is very dirty, boil it 
in the hot soda water. 

To Clean Indian Brass. — Use very fine brick dust, moistened with lemon juice. 

For Brass Inlaid Work. — Mix tripoli and linseed oil; polish with felt dipped 
in this mixture. If inlaid in rosewood or ebony use a paste of rottenstone, a 
pinch of starch, sweet oil and oxalic acid, mixed with water. 

To Remove Varnish from Brass. — Much of the brass in use is coated with 
shellac varnish; this protects the brass while it is unimpaired, but it sometimes 
gets broken. To remove it, use a cloth wet with alcohol; the brass can be 
cleaned with this, and a fresh coat of shellac varnish applied. 

To Color Brass.— A mixture of muriatic acid and alum dissolved in water im- 
parts a golden color to brass articles that are steeped in it a few seconds. 

To Frost Brass-toork. — Boil the article in caustic potash, rinse in clean water, 
and dip it in nitric acid till all oxide is removed; then wash quickly, dry in box- 
wood sawdust, and lacquer it while warm. 

Lacquer for Brass. — (1) Take % oz. gamboge, 1% oz. aloes, 8 oz. shellac (fine), 



468 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

wine spirit, 1 gallon; mix and dissolve. (2) Take 1 lb. turmeric, 2 oz. annatto, 
12 oz. each of shellac and gum juniper; wine spirit, 12 oz., mix and dissolve. 
(3) Take of seed-lac, dragon's blood, annatto, and gamboge, each 2 oz.; saffron, 
J£ oz., spirits of wine, 5 pints. 

To Clean Scale Pans. — Pour sufficient ammonia in the pan to cover the bot- 
tom, and rub briskly until dry with a handful of dry pine sawdust. For very 
dirty pans, take about 1 drachm potash bichromate, powder it in a mortar, mix 
with it two or three times its bulk of concentrated sulphuric acid, and add twice 
as much water. With this rub the pans (having a care for the fingers), rinse 
well, and finish with rottenstone. 

To Remove Lime from Sap Pans. — Muriatic acid, used in the proportion of 1 
lb. acid to 1 gallon water (used cold), will cut the scale; it can then be removed 
with a brush. 

To Clean Brass or Copper. — (1) Take lemon peel or pulp, dip it in salt, and rub 
copper or brass articles with it; rub them immediately afterwards with a dry, 
soft cloth; waste lemon from lemonade, etc., may be used. (2) Mix together 1 
oz. oxalic acid, 6 oz. rottenstone, and % oz - gum arabic; all these are to be finely 
powdered; then add 1 oz. sweet oil and sufficient water to form the mixture into 
a paste. Apply a small portion to the article to be cleaned, and rub dry with a 
flannel or wash leather. 

Copper and brass articles are not as well adapted to general cooking purposes as many 
other metals, because even mild acids so readily form poisonous compounds with them. 
When used they should be kept scrupulously clean. 

To Bronze Brass or Copper. — (1) Boil the article in a strong solution of nitrate of 
copper. (2) The repeated application of alternate washes of dilute acetic acid and 
exposure to the fumes of ammonia will give a very antique looking green bronze. 

Brittania Metal. — To clean this, rub the articles first with sweet oil on a piece 
of flannel; next wash with strong warm soapsuds; rub them dry, and polish 
with chamois leather and whiting. The polish thus given lasts for a long time. 

Bronze. — In caring for bronze ordinarily, careful dusting and keeping free 
from dirt is all that is required. (1) If greased or spotted, wash with a strong 
warm soapsuds; then rub gently, and dry thoroughly. (2) Clean it with spirits 
of turpentine. (3) A dilute solution of caustic alkalies removes overlying dirt 
and allows the green patina to become visible. Where the metal was not origin- 
ally oxydized, the alkali simply cleans it, and does not promote any formation 
of green rust. (4) To restore a bronze tea-urn, turned black in parts, will depend, 
to a great extent, on the metal and the color. First clean the surface with 
whiting and water or crocus powder, until it is polished; then cover with a paste 
of graphite and crocus, mixed in the proportions that will produce the desired 
color. Heat the paste over a small charcoal fire. If the bronzing has been produced 
by a corrosive process, try painting a solution of potassium sulphide over the 
cleaned metal. (5) If rusted badly, or much defaced, have it rebronzed. 

Bronzing Liquid. — Thoroughly clean the article to be bronzed; then warm it 
gently, and brush it over with the following preparation: 1 dr. sal ammoniac, 
15 grains of oxalic acid, and 1 pint of vinegar, all well mixed together. Rub dry, 
and then repeat the application till the required tint is obtained. 

Lacquer for Bronze. — Dissolve % lb. shellac and % lb. sandarach in 3 quarts 
alcohol; add enough extract of dragon's blood and turmeric to produce the 
desired color. 

Bronzing Process for Porcelain, Stoneware and Composition Picture and 
Looking-glass Frames. — First apply a thin solution of water-glass, using a soft 
brush; then dust on bronze powder, and dust off any excess not adhering, by a 
few gentle taps. Then heat it, to dry the silicate, and the bronze will be firmly 
attached. The bronze may then be polished by burnishing, using preferably 
agate tools. 

Coins. — These can be quickly cleansed by immersion in strong nitric acid, and 
immediate washing in water. If very dirty, or if corroded with verdigris, it is 
better to give them a rubbing with % oz. pure potash bichromate, 1 oz. sulph- 
uric acid, 1 oz. nitric acid; rub over, wash with water, wipe dry, and polish with 
rottenstone or chalk. — Lyle. 

Copper Articles.— (1) Vinegar and salt, mixed, will clean copper. (2) Use soft 
soap and rottenstone, made into a stiff paste with water, and dissolve by gently 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 469 

simmering in a water-bath or double boiler; rub it on with a woolen rag, and 
polish with dry whiting and rottenstone; finish with dry whiting on a chamois 
skin or flannel. See also "Brass and Copper." 

Door Plates. — To polish these without soiling the wood or stone around them 
cut a hole in a stiff cardboard the exact size of the plate, and slip it over before 
polishing. The easiest way to clean them is generally to use ammonia and water, 
and then dry with chamois skin, and then the pasteboard shield is not needed. 

Gas Chandeliers and Brackets. — Theseshould be dusted regularly. To clean 
them: (1) If lacquered, wipe them over lightly with a soft flannel dipped in a 
preparation of equal parts of stale beer and vinegar. (2) If gilded, clean like 
gilded picture frames. (3) To thoroughly clean a lacquered chandelier take it to 
pieces, and boil them for a few minutes in a strong soda lye; then brush them 
over with a soft brush, pass them through a strong solution of potassium cyanide 
(deadly poison), wash through a tubful of boiling water, dry in clean sawdust, 
wipe bright with a wash leather and relacquer. (4) The accumulation of grease 
near the burner can be removed by using the vinegar and stale beer mentioned 
above. 

A Convenient Way to Rebronze Gas Fixtures. — Mix bronze powder with 
any transparent varnish like amber, gum demar or copal; do not mix more than 
you are going to use at once. The best way is put a little of the varnish in a 
small, flat saucer, and some of the loose powder next it, and mix it with the brush 
as you use it. 

German Silver. — To clean this : (1) Use whiting made into a paste with water, 
and rubbed on with flannel; then rub dry with a chamois skin. (2) Rottenstone, 
rouge or crocus, mixed with sweet oil, and rubbed well on; polish off with a clean 
chamois skin and dry whiting. (3) Dissolve ~% oz. of alum and 3^ oz. of cream of 
tartar in 34 pint of vinegar; add 1 pint boiling water; wash with this when much 
discolored. (4) If discolored or spotted with vinegar or other acids, wash it and 
then scour with sweet oil and rottenstone. 

Gilt Mountings. — These articles should not be rubbed; if slightly tarnished, 
wipe them off with apiece of canton flannel; or, better, remove them, if possible, 
and wash in a solution of % oz. borax dissolved in 1 lb. water, and dry them with 
a soft linen rag; their luster may be improved by heating them a little and rub- 
bing with a piece of canton flannel. Unless carefully cleaned they soon lose their 
luster. 

Gilded articles of any kind may be cleaned as explained for gilt picture 
frames (which see). 

Gold. — To Clean. — (1) Make a solution of 20 drachms lime chloride, 20 drachms 
soda bicarbonate, 5 drachms common salt, in 5*^ pints distilled water; keep in 
well-closed bottles. Allow the article to be cleaned to remain in this solution a 
short time (which is to be heated only in case of very obstinate dirt) then take 
out, wash with spirit, and dry with sawdust. (2) To remove the brown tarnish 
from colored gold, wet tissue paper in ammonia and rub gently until the tarnish 
disappears; then wash, rinse, and dry in sawdust. If this does not do it, take it 
to a jeweler. (3) Polish with rouge and oil on a piece of chamois leather. (Be 
careful of any jewelry containing pearls, etc. See article on "Care of Jewelry.") 

To Clean Gold and Silver Lace. — (1) Take finely crushed stale bread crumbs, 
and mix it in % as much powdered blue; spread this plentifully on the lace and 
it will soon become bright; then brush off the crumbs with a piece of flannel, and 
rub with chamois and it will look like new. (2) Clean gold lace by rubbing it 
with a soft brush dipped in roche alum, burnt, and sifted to a fine powder. (3) 
Dab silver lace with a paste of heavy magnesium and water; let it dry and brush 
it off with a soft brush. (4) For either, use a weak solution of potassium cyan- 
ide (say 15 grains to 1 oz. of water); apply with a soft sponge and wash off with 
clean water. The solution is very poisonous and must be used with great care. 
It can be made stronger if needed to clean well. 

Iron and Steel. — To Clean. — (I) Rust on iron may be removed by rubbing it 
with kerosene. (2) For Russia iron apply blacking and kerosene mixed, and it 
will look nearly new. (3) For steel, take turpentine and sweet oil, equal parts, 
and thicken with emery powder to a paste; rub it on with flannel, and rub it dry 
with chamois leather. If this is not enough, finish with a little dry emery pow- 
der on flannel. (4) For bright steel, mix 1 tablespoon of turpentine and 1 of 



470 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

crocus powder; rub on quickly, and rub off again as quickly; polish with, a 
chamois leather and it shuold look bright as a mirror. (5) To take rust out of 
steel rub it with sweet oil; leave on 1 or 2 days; then rub with finely-powdered 
unslacked lime until the rust is gone. (6) Make whiting into a paste with a few 
drops of alcohol; apply thickly, allow to dry on, then rub off and polish with a 
soft leather. This will remove tarnishes. (7) Mix vienna lime to a paste with 
alcohol and rub steel or iron with it, using a chamois skin, cork, or piece of soft 
pine wood. (8) For badly-rusted steel, scour with salt and hot vinegar; then 
wash off thoroughly with boiling hot water, dry with a flannel cloth, and warm 
at the stove; then rub with flannel dipped in sweet oil. 

To clean guns and rifles which are leaded: (1) Stop up the nipple with a 
little wax, if it is a muzzle loader, or if a breech loader insert a cork in the 
breech rather tightly; then pour some quicksilver into the barrel, and put an- 
other cork in the muzzle, and roll it up and down the barrel, shaking it about 
for a few moments. The mercury and lead will form an amalgum, and leave the 
barrel as clean and free from lead as the day it was new. (2) Wet the tow on 
the cleaning rod with turpentine; it will remove lead almost as well as quick- 
silver. 

Russia Iron, to Clean.— -Take a piece of beeswax about as large as a hickory- 
nut; shave fine, and cut with % pint of gasoline; rub on with a cotton cloth, and 
polish with flannel. Do not mix or use near a fire. 

Russia Iron, to Black and Keep from Rust-—(1) Take Kpint best black var- 
nish (asphaltum is best); 1 pint black Ceylon lead; add enough spirits of tur- 
pentine to mix it into a paint. Apply like other polish to a stove, and rub at 
once with a brush. Have the iron cold when applied. (2) Melt together 3 parts 
lard and 1 part resin. A thin coat will keep Russia iron or grates from rust 
when not in use, even in damp places. Good also for steel, copper or brass. 

Steel Ornaments, to Clean.— { ! ) Rub them with a mixture of paraffine oil and 
emery; then rub them with putty powder sifted through muslin, and mixed 
with a little oil. (2) Lime moistened with water and placed on the ornaments as 
a paste for VI hours, and then brushed off, is a good restorer. 

To Preserve Steel from Rust. — (1) Dissolve white beeswax in benzole; paint 
this on the article; the benzole evaporates leaving a thin coating of wax on the 
steel. Keep the solution in a tightly corked bottle as it is very volatile. (2) 
First, clean the article, then dust it over with powdered quicklime, and leave till 
wanted for use. Coils of piano wire, thus covered have kept for years. Appli- 
cable to any bright iron or steel goods. (3) Iron blades immersed in a solution 
of carbonate of soda or potash, and then exposed to a damp atmosphere will keep 
from rust for three years. (4) Melt 1 oz. resin in 1 gill linseed oil, and while hot, 
pour on them 2 quarts of paraffine oil. Apply this mixture with a rag or soft 
brush. (5) Mix with mutton fat % P m t of oil varnish, §- pint of well rectified 
spirits of turpentine. Apply this varnish with a sponge- Metals thus varnished 
will retain their metallic brilliancy and not contract rust. (6) A thin, even coat 
of sweet oil applied to steel surfaces keeps them from rust. (7) Melt pure mut- 
ton suet, dip in the steel of knives, forks, etc., let it cool, wrap tissue paper 
around them, then canton flannel or thick paper, and they can be stored indefi- 
nitely without rusting. 

To Clean a File.- Pour on some benzine, and rub it with a stiff or scratch 
brush. 

Swords, etc., may be rubbed with powdered brick dust and oil; rub dry with 
brick dust; polish with crocus and leather. 

To Keep Steel Ear-rings, Brooches, Etc. — First clean, and then keep in pow- 
dered quicklime and they will suffer little from rust. Unslacked lime is an 
excellent thing to clean steel articles with. 

To Polish Iron or Steel. — Mix 2 oz. fine emery with 1 oz. soft soap; rub 
iron or steel with this on wash leather, and it will give it a fine polish. 

To Remove Paint from Iron. — Use a paint softener made of 1 lb. lime, 4 lbs. 
potash and 6 quarts water. Excellent. 

To Prevent Iron from Rusting. — Warm it till you cannot comfortably hold 
yonr hand on it; then rub it well with clean white wax; heat it again until the 
wax has soaked in; then rub the iron with a piece of coarse cloth, and in future 
it will not rust. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 471 

Galvanized Iron Articles. — These are best cleaned by scouring them with a 
strong solution of hot water and common washing soda. Galvanized iron attracts 
soap in such a way as to cause a deposit which is disagreeable and unsightly; 
hence it is better to use tinned vessels for holding any soapy solutions. 

A Word of Caution. — In galvanized iron vessels, water readily acts on the 
zinc coating, and forms a poisonous oxide of zinc. Hence for drinking water, or 
for any cooking purposes, galvanized iron utensils of any kind should never 
be used. 

Pewter. — Keep pewter vessels free from damp; wipe well, and dry before the 
fire after use. To clean: (1) Make a paste of whiting and kerosene or sweet 
oil; rub with a flannel dipped in this paste. (2) Wash in hot water with fine 
silver sand; then polish with soft leather. (3) Scour with fine emery on flannel 
or chamois. (4) Use a paste of rottenstone and oil, with just a little ammonia 
added. First wash the article with soap and water, then rub with this paste, and 
then polish with soft leather. 

Nickel. — To clean this use whiting, mixed with ammonia, water, or kerosene; 
rub it on with a flannel; then rub dry with a clean flannel or chamois skin. 
Rouge also polishes it well, and common soda cleans it well. 

Silver and Plated Ware. — Hot soapsuds will make all silverware look dull— a 
little ammonia in the water used for washing it is much better. For cleaning 
silverware: (1) Ammonia and alcohol are both excellent; rub either on the arti- 
cle, then polish with a little whiting (sifted thoroughly free from all grit) on a 
chamois skin. (2) One of the simplest and best things is to lay the silver in sour 
milk or buttermilk; it will take off all sulphur stains, etc., and make it look like 
new. (3^ East Indian jewelers use a little lemon juice, and no plate powder what- 
ever. (4) Save the water in which potatoes have been boiled; it is better if 
salted, and also if kept a few days until sour; use it hot, rub the silver with it, 
rinse, and polish with, chamois. (5) A rag or brush moistened with a saturated 
solution of soda hyposulphite cleanses even strongly oxydized silver surfaces in a 
few minutes, without the application of any powder; then rinse it off and polish 
with a clean chamois. It is cheap and easily applied. 

Plate Bags for Daily Use. — These are convenient, and may be prepared as 
follows: Boil soft rags (nothing better for this than the tops of old cotton stock- 
ings) in a mixture of new milk and hartshorn powder, in the proportion of 1 oz. 
of powder to 1 pint of milk; boil for 5 minutes; wring them for a moment in cold 
water, as soon as they are taken out, and dry them before the fire. With these 
rags rub the plate briskly as soon as it has been well washed and dried; a most 
beautiful deep polish will be produced. Better to use than powders. 

Egg and Mustard Stains. — These may be removed from silver spoons by using 
a damp cloth dipped in salt. 

Stained and Spotted Silverware. — Whenever silver plate from long standing 
and neglect is stained and spotted so that it is not readily cleaned by the usual 
plate powders, mix 1 part sal ammoniac with 16 parts vinegar; rub the stains or 
spots gently with the mixture and they will soon disappear. Then wash well 
with soap and water. 

To Remove Ink Stains from Silver or Plated Ware. — Rub with a paste of 
chloride of lime and water; then wash well, and wipe. 

To Clean Silver Dress Trimmings. — If slightly tarnished cover them with 
dry magnesia; leave it on for 2 hours, then rub it in, and brush it off with a hard 
brush. If they are very dirty the magnesia must be first used wet, and then dry. 

Good Polishes for Silver or Plated Ware. — These may be made as follows: (1) 
Alcohol and whiting (freed from grit) mixed together makes a simple and ex- 
cellent plate powder, or use ammonia and whiting mixed; apply it, let it dry, and 
then rub it off with chamois skin. (2) Take 1 oz. each of cream of tartar, muri- 
ate of soda and alum; boil them in 1 gal. or more of water. It gives silverware a 
beautiful silvery whiteness. 

If any plate powder is used in cleaning silverware it must be carefully 
brushed out of the chased work with a soft brush. 

A Caution. — Many plate powders contain quicksilver; all such powders are 
injurious and should never be used. 

Mercury or quicksilver when applied to silver or gold disorganizes the 
metal and makes it very brittle; the remedy is to heat the metal in an alcohol or gas 



472 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

flame; the mercury evaporates and the metal is as good as ever. Then polish off 
the tarnish. 

When silverware is laid away, wrap it first in tissue paper, and then in un- 
bleached canton flannel; then wrap it in stout wrapping paper or an oil silk bag, 
and as nearly air tight as possible, to exclude the gaseous vapors and dampness 
found in most houses. Camphor gum wrapped in the canton flannel with the 
silver helps keep it bright. Flannel or woolen should not be used to wrap up 
silver, as these contain sulphur which tarnishes it. 

A silver tea or coffee pot not in daily use should have the cover propped open 
a little, when it is put away, by laying a little stick across the top; this will ad- 
mit the air and prevent its becoming musty; by rinsing it with a little boiling 
water it can then be used at any time at once. 

To Plate with Silver. — Take 1 part precipitated silver powder, 2 parts com- 
mon salt, and 2 parts cream of tartar; mix these ingredients well together, and 
rub well on the article to be silvered; then wash it lightly in alkalized water. 
Silver may thus be applied to any metal, and old plated candlesticks, cruets, etc., 
may be greatly improved in appearance. 

Tinware. — Never use acids to clean tinware; they attack the metal and remove 
it from the iron on which it forms a thin coat. To clean tin: (1) Saturate a 
cloth with kerosene, dip it in whiting and scour with it. The best way. (2) 
Blackened ware may be scoured with a damp cloth dipped in soda; then rinse, 
and wipe dry. (3) Rub with rottenstone and sweet oil; finish with soft leather. 
(4) Use kerosene oil alone. (5) Use whiting dry, or moistened a little. (6) 
Moisten the tin, rub on dry flour with the hand, and then scrub till bright with 
newspaper. (7) To clean tinware after it has held petroleum, scrub with hot 
water and soap. 

Keep all tinware perfectly dry; it soon becomes tarnished in moist air. 

To Prevent Rust on Tin. — Rub thoroughly with lard, covering every part; 
then heat it well in a hot oven. Even if used constantly in water, this will pro- 
tect it for some time. 

Musty coffee or teapots, or pie-plates, pots or pans that have been used to bake 
in and have become rancid, may be made sweet and clean as follows: Take cold 
water and add either wood ashes or soda; then put this in the article, or the 
article in this, as the case may be, and bring it to a boil; boil for a time, then let 
it cool, and scrub thoroughly with hot soapsuds, using a small scrub brush; 
then scald in water a couple of times, rinse and dry. 

New tinware, before being cooked in, should have soda water boiled in it; then 
wash it with soapsuds, rinse, and dry it thoroughly. 

A Caution. — Because of the readiness with which salt, acids, etc., attack tin- 
ware, it should be used cautiously in cooking. 

Constant scouring of tinware with ashes, rottenstone, whiting, etc., wears it 
out; if washed ordinarily with hot water and soap, and about once a week with 
hot water and soda, it will need scouring rarely. 

To Remove the Lids from Tin Cans. — First start the solder by placing live 
coals on top; an old case knife will then remove the lid; be careful not to start 
the side seam. 

To Mend Tinware. — Scrape and clean the parts, rub on powdered resin, lay 
on solder, and hold a hot poker or soldering iron on it. Or, clean the spot, apply 
soldering fluid, place a piece of bright tin of the required shape over the hole, 
melt some solder in an; iron spoon, and pour it around the edges. Or, cut tin foil 
the required size; wet the surfaces with a feather dipped in sal ammoniac; heat 
with a hot iron till the tinfoil is melted. Or, scrape the place clean, apply solder- 
ing fluid, lay on a piece of solder, and hold over a lamp till the solder melts and 
fills the hole. It is quite easy to mend tinware, and people in the country will 
find it a great advantage often to be able to mend their own ware. People in 
towns can send to a tinsmith more easily. 

A Soldering Fluid. — This is easily made by taking a glass bottle, putting in 
hydrochloric acid, and adding small pieces of zinc until it will dissolve no more. 
Apply it with a stick when ready. Do not get it on the clothes or hands. 

A good solder for tinware is the lining of tea chests, as it is made of tin and 
lead in about the right proportions. 

Lacquer for Tin. — Put 3 oz. of seed-lac, 2 drachms of dragon's blood, and 1 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 473 

oz. of turmeric powder into a pint of well rectified spirits; let stand 2 weeks, 
agitating at least once each day; then strain through muslin. Apply it to tin- 
ware which is intended to imitate brass. 

Any good lacquer laid on tin gives it the appearance of brass or copper. Color 
lac varnish with turmeric, which will give it the color of brass; or with annatto 
which will give it the color of copper. 

Japan for Tinware. — (1) Mix 8 oz. oil of turpentine, 2 oz. copal varnish, and 
1 drachm of camphor. (2) Use common copal varnish. Either of these may be 
colored with lampblack or vermilion, and will then make a good japan. 

Wire Table Ware. — This can be kept bright by washing in water, using a soft 
cloth and a little soap; it will not need scouring if properly cared for. Whiting 
is excellent, if anything is used. 

Zinc. — To clean zinc: (1) Dip cotton cloth in kerosene and rub the articles; 
then rub dry with another cotton cloth. (2) A quick process is to use creosote 
or glycerine, mixed with a little dilute sulphuric acid. (3) The water in which 
codfish has been soaked is good for scouring the zinc under the stove. (4) Lime 
water will clean zinc well. (5) Dilute hydrochloric acid will clean small zinc 
articles quickly. Rub large articles, like refrigerators, with raw spirits; then 
rinse with water, and finish with whiting. (6) Take % lb. powdered pumice 
stone, 2 oz. emery powder, 1% quarts soft water, 1 oz. nitric acid; shake together 
well before using. This answers well for tin also. 

Polishing Materials. — Whiting used dry, or moistened with water, is good for 
almost any unlacquered metal, even silver plate. Rottenstone mixed with oil, 
or flour of emery, used either dry or mixed with oil, are suitable for almost any 
metal not lacquered, except silver or gold. Rouge, dry, or mixed with oil, is best 
for gold or silver. Lime is good for steel articles. 

An Excellent Polishing Powder. — Thoroughly mix 6 oz. of carbonate of mag- 
nesia with 1 oz. of Paris rouge (oxide of iron). Apply it with a soft cloth, 
dampened in alcohol or water, and rub till nearly dry; then polish with chamois 
skin to finish. This powder was first made by Thomas Weigler, the German 
chemist, and has been sold under various high sounding names. It is suitable 
for either gold, silver, iron, steel, copper or tin. Excellent. 

Plate Powder. — Take 3 lbs. gilder's whiting, 2 oz. white castile soap, 1 oz. 
aqua ammonia, 34 oz. olive oil, 1 gill warm water. Dissolve the soap, and add % 
the whiting and the other ingredients; mix'well, and then add the remainder of 
the whiting; mix stiff — if too stiff add more water. Make into cakes. Use 
on tin, copper, silver, nickel, mirrors, etc. 

Care of Jewelry.— To clean gold jewelry, wash it in a basin of soft water to 
which a little ammonia or baking soda has been added; use a soft tooth-brush 
and good soap. Then rinse off, and throw into a box of sawdust — boxwood is 
best. Shake up, and when dry take out, shake off the sawdust and wipe with a 
chamois skin. It will look beautifully bright. Pearls should never be washed 
in this way, however, as it may injure them. 

Tarnished Gold.— This may be renovated by applying warm spirits of wine 
with a soft brush or flannel, and its brilliancy will be restored again. 

To Clean Pearls. — (1) Soak them in warm water in which bran has been 
boiled, with a little salts of tartar and alum, rubbing them gently between the 
hands; when the water is cold renew the application till any discoloration is 
removed; rinse in lukewarm water, and lay them on white paper in a dark place 
to cool. (2) For ordinary cleaning, when not much soiled, wash them with a 
soft brush in lukewarm water containing just a trace of ammonia. (3) Put 
them on a clean linen cloth, scatter on salt, tie up the cloth with a string, and 
sop it in lukewarm water (not hotter than that) till the salt is dissolved and 
washed out; then take them out, rinse in clear water, and dry with a soft flannel 
cloth. 

'Pearls. — These should be kept in dry, common magnesia, instead of the cotton 
wool used in jewel cases. Kept in this way they will never tarnish nor lose their 
brilliancy. Pearls are the most delicate of stones and require careful treatment. 
They will be spoilt if exposed to much heat; vinegar or acids quickly destroy 
them. Never wear them when engaged in housework. 

To Clean Diamonds, Emeralds, or any of the brilliant precious stones, apply 
precipitated sulphur, moistened with spirits of wine, and rubbed with a 

29 



474 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

soft brush. Or, clean them with ammonia, the principal thing being to get them 
perfectly clean. 

Jet jewelry may be mended with black sealing wax. 

To Clean Coral Jewelry. — Wash it with hot water, with good soap and soda; 
then rinse clean, and when dry rub with chamois leather. 

Artificial Coral.— Melt clear yellow resin, and, while melted, mix in thoroughly 
the best vermilion, in the proportion of 1 part vermilion to 4 parts of resin. 
Stones, twigs, raisin stalks, etc., dipped in this, will look like coral when cold. 

Silver Ornaments.— -These are best kept in fine arrowroot, and completely 
covered with it. For cleaning silver ornaments see "Silverware" and "Silver 
Lace." 

STOVES, CHIMNEYS, FIRES, ETC. 

Stoves. — Never fill a stove with coal above the top of the linings, and keep it 
free from clinkers. When the coal is put on for the night do not close the stove 
at once, but let it burn till the coal is warmed through; then close it up and 
there will be no escaping gas; nor will the fire go out. Never let the ashes ac- 
cumulate in the ash-pan until they reach the grate — that will burn it out. Run 
a range so as to get all the heat needed without having the top red hot; that will 
warp the covers, and if a little water strikes them they will crack. Keep a stove 
well blacked. In buying a stove, furnace, or any heater, get one large enough to 
heat up readily in the coldest weather, so that ordinarily it will not be run to its 
full capacity. It will wear longer and be more economical. Buying too small a 
heater is a common mistake. 

A range or cooking stove placed opposite a door or window will be subject to 
draughts which will prevent the oven from baking well; hence arrange a place 
for it elsewhere, if possible. To cook well, keep an even, steady fire. To let it 
die down is poor economy as the heat is wasted, on adding fresh fuel, until the 
oven or stove is brought up to the right temperature for cooking. Clean out the 
slides under the oven of a cooking stove as often as once a week — twice a week is 
much better if there is much cooking to be done. With a properly regulated fire, 
this will insure uniform results, and the oven can be relied on to bake well. The 
inside of a range, including the oven flues, ought to be cleaned regularly at least 
once a month. 

To get the best results out of a stove or range, and to economize both fuel and 
time, requires intelligent treatment. Every woman should understand the prin- 
ciples on which her stove is constructed and its scientific management. Preserve 
and study the card of directions which goes with every range. Observing the 
following rule will save coal, and 1 hod of coal will often last 6 hours without re- 
plenishing: When the fire begins to burn, close the smoke damper; as soon as 
most of the coal is bright, close the other dampers. If, however, a very hot oven 
is needed leave open the slide at the bottom of the grate. When less heat is 
needed in the oven, or on top of the range, open the checks and close the drafts; 
when more heat is needed reverse the process, i. e., close the checks and open the 
drafts. 

Most cooking stoves are altogether too low. If they were raised on a box or 
platform to the height of the kitchen table, or a little higher, it would save many 
a back-ache. Try it, sister, and see. 

Blacking Stoves. — A stove well cared for will not need blacking more than 
once a month. Then clean off the old blacking with kerosene before applying 
the fresh coat. Then black it well, and wipe off with a clean rag. Always keep 
a cloth at the side of the stove to wipe up grease spots before they burn in. Each 
morning, while the fire is coming up, go over the stove with a polishing brush. 
In this way you will have a fine appearing stove always. 

Where blacking will not stick to a stove burned red, if a little vinegar, or fat 
fried from salt pork, is added to the water used to dissolve the blacking, it will 
adhere all right; or, wet the red parts and let them rust a little; then the black- 
ing will adhere. 

In blacking a stove there are various simple additions which improve the re- 
sult: (1) Use turpentine, or turpentine and a little sugar, to mix ordinary black- 
ing. It prevents rust and makes the polish more durable and glossy. (2) Mix 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 475 

the polish with soapsuds; or shave good hard soap into the polish and boil them 
together. (3) Mix the polish with vinegar and just a little sugar. (4) After 
blacking a stove apply linseed oil with a woolen rag, and keep a slow fire till it 
dries. It prevents rust and gives a lasting varnish. (5) Mix the blacking with 
cold coffee instead of water. (6) Mixing the blacking with gasoline also improves 
the polish, but that is so very explosive that it should never be used when there 
is a particle of fire. 

A stove blackened when entirely cold will retain its luster much longer than 
one which is blackened while warm. 

To Make Stove Polish. — (1) Take 1 lb. black lead (pulverized), 1 oz. sugar, 1 
gill turpentine, 1 gill water. Mix. This is the preparation used by stove manu- 
facturers. (2) Mix water-glass and lampblack to about the consistency of syrup; 
apply a thin even coating with a stove brush, and let dry for 24 hours. Then ap- 
ply an even coat of gum water, mixed with either black lead or graphite; now 
with a polishing brush rub briskly in the usual way, and a durable and beautiful 
polish will result. 

To Clean a Dirty Stove.— Rub it when cold with stove polish mixed with 
alum water. 

To polish the nickel parts of a stove use a flannel rag and whiting wet 
with kerosene or water; or, an old woolen cloth, dampened and dipped in the 
softest white ashes. 

The stove urn should be kept nearly filled with water as long as the stove has 
any fire in it. It is an excellent plan to put a small bag of charcoal in the urn, 
and change the charcoal every week. 

When clinJcers gather on the fire brick in stoves or ranges, put a few oyster 
shells on top of the hot coals, and put a little coal on them; they will, as they 
burn down, scale off the clinkers. 

To Clean the Mica in Stoves (often mistakenly termed "isinglass"). — This may 
be cleaned as good as new by washing it with vinegar, or with vinegar and salt 
mixed. 

Cracks in stoves may be stopped with various cements. One, easily made, is 
to mix fine wood ashes, salt and water into a paste or mortar; apply while the 
stove is hot. Another and more durable filling can be made by mixing sal am- 
moniac and iron filings or turnings with water. Yet another is made with equal 
parts of finely sifted wood ashes and powdered clay, mixed with water and a little 
salt. Apply while the stove is cold. Others are given in our article on "Ce- 
ments." 

To prevent rust in stoves when put away for the summer: (1) Apply linseed 
oil as explained in our 4th method for blacking stoves. (2) Mix blacking with 
kerosene or sperm oil instead of water, and black the stove with this. (3) With 
a rag, apply a good coat of kerosene oil to both pipes and stoves on taking them 
down, and store them in a dry place. 

When a stove pipe begins to rust check it at once by rubbing it with linseed 
oil; dry it then by a slow fire. 

To Preserve Grates and Bright Steel Fenders from Rust: (1) Make a strong 
paste of fresh lime and water; with a fine brush smear this as thickly as possible 
over all polished surfaces requiring preservation. All the grates and fire irons 
in an empty house may thus be kept for months free from harm. (2) Rub bright 
steel fenders and fire irons with mercurial ointment, and leave all bright parts 
well smeared with it. (3) Rub them well with sperm oil, after which apply 
unslacked lime. Wrap the fenders in paper to keep off dust. (4) Melt in front 
of the fire a piece of raw mutton fat (the loin fat is best) and rub it thickly all 
over bright fenders and fire irons; then do them up in several thicknesses of 
brown paper. The fat must be raw, not cooked, and melted only just enough to 
rub on well. 

Clean steel grates when necessary, like any other steel — see our article on 
"Iron and Steel." 

To clean the soot out of a stove-pipe throw some pieces of zinc on the hot 
coals in the stove; the vapor produced will, by decomposition, carry off the soot, 
it is said. 

It is said that a common brine of salt and water, poured over soft coal, will 
prevent the accumulation of soot in the chimney, and in the lower parts of the 
stove which burns it. We never tried it. 



476 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Furnace pipes should be thoroughly examined every fall. Holes are liable to 
rust through them, and the heat will escape through these rusted holes instead 
of passing along in the pipes to warm the rooms. 

A Hint. — A strong tin box, with a handle and cover, in which to put the stove 
brushes, polish, stove cloths, etc., will be a great convenience; it can be carried 
about from room to room, and when thus stored away the shelves will not be 
soiled with the blacking, etc. 

Fires and Fuel.— To start a fire in a grate crumple up pieces of paper into 
soft balls, instead of laying them in flat, and put these in a layer touching each 
other. Then lay on 3 or 4 small sticks of perfectly dry wood an inch or two apart; 
then 3 or 4 more across the other way, and so on alternately, according to the size 
the fire is to be. This allows openings for a good draught, which is absolutely 
essential in starting a fire. Then lay on small lumps of coal, as large lumps do 
not ignite so readily, touch a lighted match to the paper below, and you will soon 
have a good Are. In starting a fire in a stove or range proceed in much the same 
way, leaving openings in the kindling wood for a draught. If a little coke is 
kept on hand to use in starting a fire, it will be a great convenience. Only a little 
is needed; it lights readily and makes an intense heat. 

Never shake a fire which is almost out — that will finish it. Turn on the 
draught instead, and as soon as it starts up a little, add a handful of small coals 
on the red spot; in this way you can revive a fire almost out. When a coal fire is 
low, to let out the ashes from below or heap coal on top will put it out. 

To deaden a coal fire, press down the mass from the top so as to make less 
room for air to draw through it. 

To revive a fire in a grate put on the blower, and as it starts a little put on 
small pieces of coal gently until it is well started. 

When starting a fire in damp, still weather, place on top of the grate pieces of 
lighted paper or shavings; they will blaze up quickly, heat the air in the chimney 
and create an upward current which will help in starting the fire, and will draw 
the smoke away from the room. 

When low, a tablespoon of salt thrown on a fire will help it. A little sugar 
will revive dying embers and give a bright flame at once. Old corks, and thor- 
oughly dried orange and lemon peels, make excellent fire revivers. 

Never pour kerosene oil on a fire to revive it — it is too dangerous, and your 
friends are not l'eady to bury you yet. 

Never throw away cinders or half -burned coal; they are worth as much as 
coal, measure for measure. Sift them out of the ashes, wet them, and burn them. 
Added to a coal fire they will make it hotter than fresh coal, and keep'it hot longer. 
To throw them away is a pure waste. 

During the fall and winter every room in the house should have a fire kindled 
in it at least once a week, to prevent dampness. 

Fire Kindlers. — Melt over a slow fire 1% lbs. of resin, and add either 1 pint of 
tar, or 5 oz. of tallow; while hot stir in as much as possible of fine sawdust, or 
sawdust and pulverized charcoal mixed — either is good. Then spread it out, 
about an inch deep, on a board sprinkled with charcoal, to cool. When cold, 
break into lumps about as large as hickory-nuts. They will light readily and 
burn for some time. 

Burning Buildings. — When a house takes fire every one should remember to 
shut all doors, as open doors allow flames to spread too rapidly. Keep the win- 
dows closed also. If hemmed in up-stairs by fire, do not jump from a window 
until the last resort. Tear up bed clothes or clothing and make some kind of a 
rope, tie one end to a heavy piece of furniture, and let yourself down by it. If a 
room is full of smoke and flame crawl on the floor, as there is less smoke near 
the floor. As a ready protection against breathing smoke wet a handkerchief or 
towel and fasten it around the face over the mouth and nose. 

A fire will be extinguished immediately if a solution of pearlash and water is 
thrown upon it. 

Fire Hand Grenades. — (1) Take 20 lbs. common salt, 10 lbs. sal ammoniac, 7 
gallons water. Mix. Put this into thin bottles holding about a quart, and seal 
up. If a fire breaks out throw these bottles into the flames hard enough to break 
them. (2) Fill thin quart bottles with a strong solution of common salt. Throw 
them violently into a fire when it first breaks out and they will check the flames. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 477 

Fireproof Solution. — Dissolve boric acid in a hot solution of tungstate of soda, 
which makes a salt called borotungstate of soda; materials impregnated with 
this solution are rendered perfectly fireproof. 

A Chemical Heater. — Mix 1 lb. of soda acetate with 10 lbs. of soda hyposul- 
phite. Fill a sheet copper or other metallic vessel, such as a foot warmer, with 
the solution, and seal it up. When desired for heating purposes place the vessel 
in hot or boiling water, till the contents are quite fluid. It possesses the property 
of giving off the heat very slowly, and may be used as a source of warmth for 12 
to 15 hours. It is adapted as a foot warmer, muff -warmer, etc., and where a fire 
is not admissible. 

Chimneys. — These should have the interior surface as smooth as possible, and 
to obtain the best draughts they should be kept clean. Smoky chimneys are very 
generally caused by being below the level of some adjacent building, or other 
object which obstructs the free passage of the wind. In this case the trouble 
will be noticed when the wind is in certain directions. The most reliable remedy 
is to raise the chimney to the required height by brickwork or pipe, although a 
cowl or hood will often overcome the difficulty. Leaks, holes or fissures in chim- 
ney's will cause sluggish draughts. If 2 fireplaces draw into one flue, provision 
should be made for closing either one when not in use; it is better for each to 
have a separate flue. 

Ordinarily the chimney is the best ventilator, at least when the fire is burn- 
ing, which keeps up an upward draft. When there is no fire, however, they often 
admit a current of cold air which draws down them. 

When a chimney takes fire, shut all doors and windows and throw sulphur on 
the fire in the stove or grate— if thrown on the grate put a board before the opening 
to prevent the fumes from coming out into the room. The brimstone fumes as- 
cending the chimney will extinguish the flames. If sulphur is not convenient 
shut stove doors and hang a blanket in front of the grate to check the draught 
as much as possible, and throw salt on the fire; this will deaden it down. Never 
pour water down the chimney— it will spoil the carpet; throw down salt instead. 

Leaks about chimneys may be stopped up with the fireproof cement given 
among our cements, or with one of those given for stopping cracks in a stove. 



PAINT, VARNISH, WHITEWASH, ETC 

Faint. — Before painting woodwork all grease spots should be removed, or the 
paint will not adhere. To remove the grease spots there are various ways. (1) 
Apply whitewash; leave on one night and wash off in the morning. When fully 
dry apply the paint. (2) Use a little wet slacked lime instead of the whitewash. 
(3) Wash it with soda water, rinsing well afterwards. (4) Scour off with a 
little marble sand. 

If any soapsuds is used it should be washed off thoroughly, or the paint will 
not dry hard. Have the wood dry before applying the paint. When painting eat 
acid fruits, and thoroughly air and ventilate the rooms. 

In giving 3 coats of paint, use about 1 lb. paint to the square yard on new 
woodwork. It is said that oil paint put on in the autumn lasts longer than when 
applied at any other season, but we do not vouch for that. Before applying 
paint stop up nail holes, etc., as explained under "Nails" (which see). 

The drying of paint is largely dependent on the temperature. Below the freez- 
ing point paint will often stay wet for weeks, while the same paint if exposed to a 
heat of 120° F., will become solid in a few hours. A good supply of fresh air is essen- 
tial. An open fire in a newly painted room is only beneficial when the tempera- 
ture is low; as a rule it retards rather than helps the drying, because of the car- 
bonic acid gas it gives off. A first coat should be thoroughly dry before another 
is put on. 

To make old paint which is "sticky" become hard and dry, first apply a coat 
of benzine; leave it on 36 or 48 hours. Then take 3 parts lacquer and 1 part 
boilod oil; mix, and apply a light coat, if the paint is good; if it is thin, mix in 
more lacquer and put on another coat. 

To Remove Dry Paint from Wood. — (1) Apply a strong solution of oxalic 
acid (a poison). The paint soon softens. (2) Wet with naphtha as often as re- 



m ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

quired; as soon as it is softened rub the surface clean. (3) Use chloroform mixed 
with a small quantity of spirits of ammonia composed of strong ammoniac. (4) 
Use a paste made of potash and strong lime; cleanse the surface afterwards with 
vinegar. (5) A handful of lime put into a pail of strong soda and water, well 
stirred, and laid on the paint, will soon soften old paint; it can then be scraped 
off easily. (6) Apply a thick coat of 2 parts freshly slacked lime, and 1 part sal 
soda, mixed thick; wash off after 24 hours. Clean with vinegar. 

To Remove Paint on Glass. — (1) Dissolve common washing soda in hot 
water; apply it to the paint hot, and let it soak a short time (if thick, 30 minutes) 
and wash off. Repeat if needed. Good. (2) Scrape off what you can with a 
knife; then rub with a cloth wet with alcohol. (3) Use turpentine and ammonia 
mixed, or either alone if you have not the other. (4) Take 3 parts potash, and 
1 part unslacked lime; lay on with a stick and leave some time; it will remove 
either tar or paint. 

Cleaning Paint. — Paint should be more often brushed than scrubbed; too 
frequent scrubbing causes it to decay. Use little soap and wash it off with 
plenty of clean water to prevent discoloration. Soda, pearlash and ammonia all 
injure paint if allowed to remain on; it is better not to use them at all, but if 
used they should be immediately rinsed off with clean water, and the paint 
rubbed dry with flannel. For washing paint there is nothing better to use than 
old worn flannel. Do not have the water too hot. The woodwork inside a 
house should all be washed over twice a year. We present the following methods 
for cleaning unvarnished paint: (1) Wet the paint with warm water; then rub 
with a damp flannel dipped in whiting; rinse off with clean water and rub dry 
with chamois. This is much better than soap, is easily used, saves the paint, 
and makes it look like new. (2) For paint much soiled use whiting and ox-gall 
mixed together to a batter. Rub on with a flannel; rinse off with cold water, rub 
dry with a soft cloth. The unpleasant smell of the gall will soon go off. (3) 
Dissolve % oz. glue, and a bit of soft soap the size of a walnut, in about 3 pints 
warm water; scrub this on with a well worn whitewash brush, but not enough to 
start the paint; rinse with plenty of clean cold water, using a wash leather; let it 
dry itself. Work done in this manner will often look like new. (4) Mix 1 table- 
spoon of skimmed milk, 2 tablespoons of turpentine, 2 quarts hot water, and soap 
enough to make a suds; this cleans well and adds luster. 

To Clean Oiled and, Varnished Woods. — Wring a flannel cloth out of luke- 
warm soft water, and wipe them off. 

Grained Wood is best washed with cold tea, and for dark colored paints this 
is one of the most convenient and effectual things there is; then rub it with flan- 
nel cloth. 

For flower-pot stains on a window-sill, see "Windows." 

To Destroy the Smell of Fresh Paint. — (1) Shut up the room closely, and 
place in the middle of it a pan of lighted charcoal on which some juniper berries 
have been thrown. (2) Leave in the room a pail of water containing some new 
hay; or place hay on the floor and sprinkle it with water in which chloride of 
lime has been mixed. 

Leave several pans or pails of water during the night in a newly painted 
room, and in the sleeping rooms adjoining, and the deleterious effects of fresh 
paint will be nearly overcome; the material it absorbs will be seen on the top of 
the water in the morning. Do not sleep in a freshly painted room. 

To Prevent Paint from Smelling. — Dissolve some frankincense in spirits of 
turpentine by simmering over a clear fire; then strain and bottle the mixture. 
Add this to any paint, and, if too thick, thin with turpentine. 

Paint Which Resists Moisture. — Take 6 gallons fish oil, 1 lb. of sulphur, % lb. 
resin; melt and mix all together thoroughly; color as desired with ochre or other 
colors, and use a little linseed oil; apply while hot with a brush; have first coat 
very thin — then lay on several more. May be applied to either wood or stone. 

A good and cheap paint for iron fencing, rough woodwork, etc., is made by 
mixing yellow ochre into tar; it will be green in color. 

Light colors, as is well known, reflect the heat, while dark colors absorb it; 
for this reason light colored paints are best to use on tools, etc., much exposed 
to the sun. 

Luminous Paints. — Several bodies possess the property of absorbing a cer- 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 479 

tain amount of light and then emitting it slowly. Calcium sulphide is the most 
important of these, and it has been mixed with paint where the light is desired. 
It is very feeble, however. If something of the kind is desired, heat strontium 
theo-sulphate for 15 minutes over a good Bunsen gas lamp, and then for 5 min- 
utes over a blast lamp. For use, mix it with pure melted paraffine, and expose it 
to the sunlight for a time. In the dark it will emit a greenish phosphorescence. 
It can be applied to clock dials, etc. 

Faint Brushes. — To soften brushes that have become hard, soak them for 24 
hours in raw linseed oil, and rinse them out in hot turpentine, repeating the pro- 
cess until clean. To wash the brushes, use hot soda and water and soft 
soap. If paint brushes have a hole bored in the handle and when not in use, are 
hung above an open necked bottle or can, containing oil, so that the bristles are 
immersed up to the binding cords, they will keep clean and be ready at any time 
for use. 

To keep a new brush from shedding its bristles or shrinking, turn it bottom 
up; then spread open the bristles and pour in a little good varnish; keep it bot- 
tom up till dry, and the varnish will "■ set" around the bristles and bind them 
fast. 

Varnish. — Lay on varnish carefully, with a good even stroke, applying a 
smooth and regular coat; let it stand in a moderately warm place to dry, that 
the varnish may not chill. 

To Remove Varnish. — (1) Scrape with sandpaper, and then use spirits of am- 
monia; it is a rather slow process. (2) Cut the varnish with spirits of wine and 
turpentine mixed. 

To Remove Spots on Varnish. — See our directions for taking spots off of 
varnished furniture in the article on "Furniture." 

To clean varnished surfaces, as well as dark colored paints or graining, wash 
it off with cold tea; then polish with a chamois skin. Never use hot water on 
varnish. For a fuller explanation of the treatment of varnished surfaces see our 
article on "Furniture." 

When varnish is "sticky" it may be remedied by first applying a coat of ben- 
zine; leave it 48 to 72 hours; then lay on a coat of good varnish. Do not use the 
article until it is thoroughly dry. 

Do not use ammonia on varnish, as that turns it white. 
For a white varnish, take 6 oz. white wax, 1 pint oil of turpentine; dissolve 
by a gentle heat. 

For a cheap oak varnish, take 3% lbs. clear, pale resin, 1 gallon oil of turpen- 
tine, dissolve it. This may be colored darker by adding a little fine lampblack. 
For a sealing wax varnish dissolve sealing wax in spirits of wine, and apply 
the solution (well shaken up) with a soft brush; the spirits of wine will evapo- 
rate, leaving an even coating of sealing wax. 

For a shellac varnish, dissolve 1 part shellac in 7 or 8 parts of alcohol. If too 
thick add alcohol; if too thin add shellac. Keep in a bottle. It dries quickly 
and is good to varnish almost anything with. 

Colorless Varnish.— Take 2% oz. bleached shellac and let it dissolve in 1 pint 
of rectified alcohol; then heat 5 oz. animal bone black, mix in thoroughly, and 
boil all 5 minutes; test it by filtering a little through filtering paper; if not color- 
less put in more bone black and again boil; then filter it all through silk and 
filtering paper. It can be used as soon as it cools, for whitewood, labels, paints 
or any spotless article. 

The Varnish Brush. — As the beauty of varnishing depends largely on the 
brush, care should be taken to select one that is suitable. The best way to keep 
a varnish brush when not in use is to bore a hole in the handle as advised for 
paint brushes, and suspend it above a narrow tin pot containing the kind of varnish 
last used, immersing it up to the binding cords but no higher. Brushes kept in 
turpentine are apt to get hard and harsh. 

Calcimine. — Before applying a new coat of calcimine wash off the old one. 
It can be done with a sponge and a pail of water, or moisten and scrape it off. 
To prepare calcimine, soak % lb- °f white glue over night in cold water; in the 
morning heat it until dissolved. Mix 10 lbs. whiting in hot water and then mix 
and stir the 2 together; dilute to about the thickness of cream, with warm water. 
The glue can be left out if skimmed milk is used in place of the water. Apply it with 



480 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

a calcimine brush, which produces a better result than the coarser brush used 
for whitewash. If there are cracks in the ceiling, fill them before applying the 
calcimine with the wall cement given among our cements. The smoke from a 
kerosene lamp may be washed from a ceiling as explained under "Lamps." 

Calcimine can easily be tinted any desired shade. The following are a few of 
them: For a buff tint, use 2 pints Indian yellow, and 1 part burnt sienna. For 
blue, use a little Prussian blue; a dark blue shade is never advisable. For brown, 
use burnt umber. For grey, use raw umber, with a little lampblack. For 
lavender, prepare a light blue, and then shade it a trifle with vermilion. For 
lilac, use 2 parts Prussian blue and 1 part vermilion; mix thoroughly, and don't 
get the color too high. For straiv, use chrome yellow and a very little Spanish 
brown. Remember, that delicate tints are always in better taste and more 
agreeable than vivid colors; also, that when laid on they always look brighter 
than when in the calcimine pail. Ceilings should be a little lighter than the 
walls. Accomplish this by calcimining the ceiling first; then add a little more 
color and go over the walls. 

Whitewash. — Slack about % bushel of unslacked lime with boiling water, keep- 
ing it covered during the process. Strain it, and add 1 peck of salt dissolved in 
warm water; 3 lbs. ground rice put in boiling water and boiled to a thin paste; 
% lb. powdered Spanish whiting, and 1 lb. clear glue dissolved in warm water; mix 
these well together and let the mixture stand for several days. Keep the wash 
thus prepared in a kettle or portable furnace, and when used put it on as hot as 
possible. This will answer for either wood, brick or stone, and retains its luster 
for a long time. It is the formula recommended by the U. S. Treasury Depart- 
ment to all lighthouse keepers. It can be colored, if desired, to any shade. A 
little lampblack added makes a slate color; lampblack and Spanish brown, a 
red stone color; yellow ochre or chrome yellow a pretty cream shade, etc. 

For common work a mixture may be used of % bushel of lime slacked with 
boiling water, and add 1 lb. of common salt, % lb. of sulphate of zinc, and 1 gal- 
lon of sweet milk. This is cheap, easily made and excellent, and if applied once 
a year, or even of tener, to unpainted fences and outbuildings, whether of wood or 
stone, it will preserve them, and conduce to the healthfulness of the premises. 
Many people do not realize the value of a good coat of whitewash. This may be 
colored to any desired shade by using yellow ochre, lampblack, burnt umber, 
Prussian blue, etc. 

No brick wall which is ever intended to be painted should be whitewashed. 
All washes absorb water, and in damp weather lose their color. For 1 barrel of 
color wash, take % bushel white lime, 3 pecks hydraulic cement, 10 lbs. umber, 
10 lbs. ochre, 1 lb. Venetian red, J^ lb. lampblack. Slack the lime, cut the lamp- 
black with vinegar, mix well together, add the cement, and fill the barrel with 
water. Let it stand for 12 hours before using, and stir frequently while putting 
it on. This is light stone color, but may be changed by using more or less of the 
colors named above, or any others. Only 1 coat of this is needed. A rough board 
barn washed with it, will look well for five years. The cement hardens, 'but on a 
rough surface will not scale. — Scientific American. 



PICTURES AND FRAMES. 

Pictures. — In hanging pictures be sure the cords are strong enough. There 
is nothing stronger than copper wire; or use the cords containing wire. In buy- 
ing cord get that as near the color of the wall as possible. The effect is better 
to put engravings between chromos and paintings than to hang the latter side by 
side; and it is better not to hang water colors near colored pictures like paint- 
ings and chromos. Pictures should not be hung so that the shadows will come 
near the window; it may spoil the effect of a good picture, because the side that 
needs the light will not get it. When hung directly opposite a window the re- 
flection of the light from both glass and frame may nearly hide the picture. Do 
not hang pictures or chromos so that they are exposed to the direct rays of the 
sun, nor, on the other hand in a dark room, as darkness fades some colors 
rapidly. Have a good light, therefore, but not strong sunlight. 

Attend to the condition of the wall against which a picture is hung.. A 



ALE ABOUT THE HOUSE. 481 

slight amount of dampness will produce brown or mildewed spots on an engrav- 
ing or any kind of paper mount, while it produces a slight film of mildew on an 
oil painting. On the other hand an oil painting should never be hung on a wall 
through which a hot flue or chimney passes, which heats the wall considerably, 
as after a time curious spots, lines and patches make their appearance, and if the 
picture has ever been restored the places become painfully apparent. When pic- 
tures hang flat, it is a good plan to have a piece of cork fastened behind, each 
corner, which will keep the frame a small space from the wall, and promote free 
ventilation behind them. Only heavy gilt frames should be used for oil 
paintings. 

An oil painting should have its face dusted with an old soft silk handkerchief; 
this is much better than a feather duster. Occasionally (perhaps every 2 or 3 
months or so) it should be dry cleaned, using an old silk handkerchief, although 
some use a pad of soft cotton-wool. Brush it lightly and quickly, and an occa- 
sional breath on the surface helps the process. A slow touch with a silk hand- 
kerchief is apt to make the surface look greasy. Do not press heavily, nor strain 
the canvas in the least. When spots or discolorations are observed, or a picture 
has become very dirty, it must be taken down and cleaned carefully. Choice 
pictures which show signs of mildew, cracking, etc., should be taken to a profes- 
sional restorer, rather than to attempt handling them at home. 

To Clean Oil Paintings. — There are various methods. (1) First wipe off the 
dust with soft silk; then dip the finger in a little linseed oil contained in a saucer, 
and gently rub the painting. This method requires time and patience, but it is safe, 
and it produces gratifying results. (2) In restoring pictures the great thing is to 
do as little as possible. They can be washed with warm water and sweet milk, and 
then dried carefully. Do not rub them hard. (3) First examine the picture to see 
that there are no cracks, or bits of paint likely to peel off; then take an old soft cloth 
and some white of egg, and wash the surface, a square inch at a time, with a spiral 
motion of the hand, not pressing too heavily. If very dirty mix some bread, molas- 
ses and new milk in a basin, adding a trifle of turpentine; wash it with this, using soft 
flannel and a sponge; afterwards use the white of an egg. (4) If care is taken 
not to let water through cracks, nor wet the backs, castile soap can be used on 
oil paintings, although as a rule it is not advisable. (5) Raw potato has an al- 
most magical effect on oil paintings, and is sometimes used to clean them. First 
wipe off the dust with a soft silk cloth; then rub it with the raw potato; lightly 
and evenly, and wipe off the lather with a soft rag. Manipulate it carefully. 
The dirty surface of the potato must be constantly trimmed off, to keep a clean 
working surface. Afterwards rub the picture over with clean nut or linseed oil. 

Varnish for Pictures. — Put into a bottle 2 parts alcohol and 1 part best 
coach varnish; shake well; they will separate unless they are shaken every time 
they are used. To use, pour a little in a cup and spread it on quickly with a 
camel's hair brush, as the alcohol speedily evaporates. If necessary, after the 
first coat has dried apply a second, and draw the brush the opposite way in ap- 
plying it. Keep it clear of dust while drying; this gives a beautiful polish, not 
affected by cold water used to clean it, nor by steam. 

To Clean CJiromos. — (1) Use a soft cloth, moistened in cold tea; then polish 
them with a little oil. (2) Dust them carefully, and then wipe them with a soft 
linen rag or chamois skin, moistened slightly. Finish by rubbing with a touch 
of oil on a chamois. Apply a thin coat of mastic varnish if the old coat is dull 
or defaced. 

Varnish for Chromos. — For chromos not previously varnished prepare a size 
by dissolving isinglass in lukewarm water, making it the consistency of starch. 
Apply, lightly, a smooth coat of this with a flat varnish brush; when quite dry, 
lay on, in a warm room, one or more coats of Demar varnish; shield carefully 
from the dust until dry. Thus varnished they can be safely wiped off at any 
time, and will be much more durable. 

Frames. — To Clean Gilt Frames. — (1) Blow off the dust. Then beat up the 
white of eggs and add common washing soda, in the proportion of 3 oz. egg to 1 
oz. soda; brush this with a soft brush, over the frame. This will also clean and 
brighten all gilded articles. (2) Mix 1 gill of water, 1 oz. of common salt, 1 oz. 
alum, and 2 oz. ; purified nitre. Sponging with this mixture will brighten them 
if ever so dirty. 



482 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Black Walnut or Other Dark Colored Frames. — If varnished, these may be 
cleaned with cold tea, and then rubbed up with a good furniture polish. If 
oiled, and not varnished, clean them first with cold tea, then rub with a little 
linseed or kerosene oil. 

White Frames. — If varnished these may be cleaned like other varnished 
frames; if not varnished, clean carefully with whiting and water, and then rub 
with a chamois skin. 

New Gilt Frames should be given a coat of white varnish. It improves their 
appearance, makes them last much longer, and fiy specks can then be washed off 
without injury. This also improves old frames. 

To Keep Flies off of Frames. — Sponge them over with onion water. Boil 4 or 
5 onions in a pint of water; when cold, apply it; it will not injure the frames. 
Applying laurel oil will also keep off flies. 

To Restore Old Gildings. — (1) Form cotton wool into a tuft as large as a nut, 
dip it in strong liquid ammonia, and carefully apply. If the gold is not worn off 
it restores it fairly well. (2) To patch or retouch a gilt frame apply to the 
abraided spot a size, made by dissolving isinglass in alcohol; when partially dry, 
lay on gold leaf; leave it till fullv dry; then burnish with a hard burnisher. (3) 
Take 1 quart of water, add enough flowers of sulphur to give it a golden tinge, 
boil 5 or 6 onions in it and strain. Apply to the part that needs restoring with a 
soft brush, when cold. The onions will keep off flies, and the solution will 
brighten the frame. 

To Begild Picture Frames. — Take some parchment gold-size, and water 
gold-size; warm them and mix together till fluid; paint this over the picture 
frame with a soft brush; when dry, apply a second coat; when that is dry rub 
gently with fine sandpaper. Have ready some book gold-leaf, warm it before 
the fire, rub some white wax upon a piece of writing paper; pick up the gold 
leaf with the waxed paper and lay it gently on the frame, and continue fix- 
ing leaves till the frame is covered, but always overlap one leaf over another; 
then press the gold-leaf to the frame very gently. Let it dry; then pass a clean 
brush dipped in water over the surface to carry away any superfluous gold-leaf. 
Cover the gilding with a coating of warm parchment size, and it will be finished. 

The Glass Over Pictures. — This should be washed with ammonia and water, 
and wiped dry with chamois skin or tissue paper. 

When it is desired to clean the glass without taking it out of the frame, and 
the frame is made of silk or other material easily soiled, bend pieces of tin at an 
angle, thus |_ an< ^ set these over the frame with one edge resting on the glass 
and the long arm protecting the frame; then wash carefully with soft water and 
ammonia, and rub dry with tissue paper or chamois skin. 

The Picture Cord. — To hang pictures copper wire is the best thing to use, 
adapting the size to the weight of the picture; if cord is used buy that made for 
the purpose with wire in it. 

Engravings, Mezzotints, Etc. — To Clean. — Engravings or prints which have 
been laid in any of the following baths, may be laid on a clean board or strips of 
clean smooth cloth to dry. Sometimes prints are dried by laying them between 
sheets of clean blotting paper, and keeping them under pressure till dry. If nec- 
essary they may be ironed with an ordinary flat-iron to restore the gloss, placing 
clean paper between the iron and the print. Sometimes, before being dried, they 
are placed in a very weak solution of isinglass or glue, to act as a size; a little 
coffee or tobacco added to the solution will give a yellow tinge when that is de- 
sired. Great care should be exercised in handling prints while wet, so as not to 
tear them. They are easily handled with a little care. 

For cleaning prints there are various methods, the following being among the 
best: (1) If engravings are very dirty, take 2 parts salt and 1 of soda, and pound 
them together very fine. Lay the engraving on a board, and fasten it with draw- 
ing pins; then spread this mixture, dry, equally over the surface to be cleaned. 
Moisten the whole with warm water and a little lemon juice, and, after it has re- 
mained a minute, or even less, tilt the board up on its end, and pour over it a 
kettleful of boiling water. Avoid rubbing and be careful to remove all the mix- 
ture. If the engraving is not very dirty the less soda used the better, as it has a 
tendency to give a yellow hue. Then treat as above directed. (2) Prepare a 
solution in the proportion of % lb- lime chloride to 1 pint water; let it stand, 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. m 

with frequent stirring, for 24 hours; then strain through muslin, and finally add 
1 quart water. Engravings, prints, and every description of printed matter, may 
be immersed in this solution; mildew and other stains will quickly disappear. 
The sheets must then be passed, separately, through clear water, as the lime 
chloride if left in the paper will cause it to rot. Dry as above directed. 

To remove surface dirt from engravings and mezzotints, the most effectual 
plan is to use bookbinders' paste; apply it with a paste brush to both the front 
and back of the print; the paste will take up the whole of the dirt, which will 
come away with the paste; remove that by immersing the print in a bath of plain 
water; it will come out as fresh as new. This plan is simple but efficacious, and 
many a dollar has been earned by it. Dry as above directed. 

Superficial markings, from lead pencils, etc., may be removed by rubbing the 
surface with fresh cut bread, in circular sweeps, lightly but firmly performed. 

Small grease spots may be removed by placing powdered French chalk over 
them, a piece of clean blotting paper over the chalk, and a hot iron over that. 
Do not have the iron too hot, or it may turn the grease dark. 

To remove ink stains, berry stains, etc., see the article on "Books and Paper." 



BOOKS AND PAPER. 

Books. — It is one thing to buy books; it is quite another to intelligently care 
for them. The following rules are well worth preserving by every one who 
handles books: 



Never hold a book near a fire. 

Never lean or rest upon an open book. 

Never turn down the corners of leaves. 

Never touch a book with damp or soiled 
hands. 

Always keep your place with a thin book 
mark. 

Always place a large book on the table 
before opening it. , 

Always turn leaves from the top with the 
fore or middle finger. 

Never touch a book with a damp cloth or 
sponge. 

Never rub dust from books, but brush it 
off -with a soft dry cloth or duster. 

Never close a book -with a pencil, pad of 
paper, or anything else between the leaves. 



Always open a large book from the mid- 
dle, and never from the ends or cover. 

Always keep a borrowed book neatly 
covered with paper while in your posses- 
sion. 

Never try to dry by a fire a book accident- 
ally wet, but wipe off the moisture with a 
soft dry cloth and let it dry slowly. 

Never cut the leaves of a book or magazine 
with a sharp knife, as the edge will run into 
the print. 

Never lend a borrowed book, but return 
it directly you get through with it so that 
the owner may not be deprived of its use. 

Always have a good index or catalogue of 
the contents of your library. 



Books which are placed in a library should be thoroughly dusted 2 or 3 times 
a year, not only to keep them clean and fresh, but also to prevent any develop- 
ment of insects and to disclose signs of dampness. The interior of a book also 
requires care, though often neglected. On taking a book from the shelf, before 
opening it see if there is dust on the top edge. If it has trimmed edges blow off 
the dust, and then dust with a soft duster; if the edges are uncut, brush with a 
rather hard brush. In this way the dust will be kept from sifting into the book. 
If books are packed too tightly on the shelves their backs will be broken when 
they are taken down. Nothing spoils books more quickly than laying them open, 
face down, to preserve the place. 

Bookshelves should be covered with a dust sheet before a room is swept. 
Books which are not kept under glass may be guarded to some extent from dust 
by having strips of leather or cloth 2 or 3 inches deep, nailed along the edges of 
the shelves; also lay sheets of brown paper, a little wider than the books, along 
their tops. At the annual housecleaning, books should be taken down and 
beaten, first singly and then in pairs, and carefully dusted; then the shelves 
should be washed, scrubbed and thoroughly dried, before the books are put back. 

The 3 great enemies of books are insects, damp, and rats and mice. Everyone 
knows how to guard against rats and mice. To preserve books, warm, dry air is 
required; dampness and excessive heat must be avoided. The more they are 
read the more easily they are preserved. It is said that the reason Russia leather 
never molds and is not affected by damp is because it is perfumed with tar of 
birch tree. Book cases or shelves made of cedar, cypress, sandalwood, or any 
strongly aromatic wood, are a protection to books against insects. The Romans 



484 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

preserved valuable manuscripts with oil of cedar. Bindings brushed over with 
spirits of wine are preserved from mildew, and libraries may be preserved from 
the effects of mold and damp by using a few drops of any perfumed oil. Alum 
used in the bookbinder's paste, has a preservative effect, while oil of turpentine 
is much better. Aniseseed, bergamot, or anything strongly odoriferous, mixed in 
paste, preserves it indefinitely from the attacks of insects. 

Grease Spots. — These may be removed from the covers of bound books by lay- 
ing fine pipeclay, magnesia or French chalk on both sides, and applying a hot 
iron; but take care that it is not too hot. Colored calf-skin may be treated the 
same way. Vellum covers which need cleaning may be made almost equal to new 
by washing with a weak solution of potash binoxalate, or, if not much soiled, with 
warm water and soap. 

Paper. — Berry Stains. — These may be removed from engravings, books or 
paper by subjecting them to the fumes of sulphur, or of sulphur matches. 

To Remove Grease Spots from Paper. — (1) Lay some fuller's earth, powdered 
chalk, blotting paper or magnesia on the paper, both above and below the spot; 
set on a'hot flat-iron to melt the grease and it will be at once absorbed. Do not 
have the iron too hot, however, or the paper will be discolored. Or (2) place a 
blotting paper underneath, and moisten the spots with a camel's hair pencil dip- 
ped in rectified spirits of turpentine; when dry, moisten with a little spirits of 
wine, which will remove any stain left by the turpentine. 

To Remove Oil Stains from Drawing Paper. — Apply a solution of pearlash in 
the proportion of 1 oz. pearlash to 1 pint water. 

To Remove Ink Stains from Paper (including that of books or engravings). 
— Use a solution of oxalic acid, citric acid, or tartaric acid; apply the solution, 
then dry with blotting paper. These acids remove writing ink, but do not affect 
printing ink. Javelle water will also take out ink stains. These preparations 
will also remove the blue lines from writing paper. These can be ruled in again, 
if desired, by using ordinary bluing, mixed with water, and a little ox-gall added 
to make it flow. 

Finger or Thumb Marks on paper are often difficult to erase, the dirt being 
of a greasy nature and forced into the fibers of the paper. Remove slight stains 
with rubber or bread crumbs; for the more difficult ones apply a jelly made of 
white or curd soap, leave it on some time and then immerse the paper in cold 
water and then gently brush it off with a soft brush; then rinse it in a weak acid 
water, and then again with cold water and size it again when dry. 

To Remove India Ink from Paper. — To remove a blot of this apply water 
with a camel's hair brush; leave on a few seconds, then make as dry as possible 
with blotting paper, and then rub carefully with India rubber. Repeat, if nec- 
essary, till all is gone. For lines, circles, etc., dip the ink leg of the instruments 
in water, open the pen rather wider than the line, and trace over the ink, using 
blotting paper and India rubber as for a blot; applicable to drawing paper, trac- 
ing paper, and tracing linen. If the surface is a little roughened thereby, polish 
it with your finger nail. 

To Split a Sheet of Paper. — Paste a piece of cloth to each side of the sheet to 
be split. When perfectly dry, violently and without hesitation pull the two 
cloths apart; part of the paper will adhere to one, and part to the other. Wet 
and soften the paste, and the two pieces can be easily removed from the cloth. If 
there is only one copy of a newspaper article, and it is desired to paste it in a 
scrap book, it is convenient to know how to split it, and the process can be util- 
ized in various ways. It will work if managed skilfully. 

To Take Creases out of Drawing Paper or an Engraving.— Lay it on a sheet 
of smooth, unsized white paper, face downwards; then lay on top of it another 
slightly dampened sheet of the same paper, and pass a moderately warm flat-iron 
over it all. 

To Prepare Oiled Paper. — Brush the sheets over with boiled oil, in which a 
little shellac has been carefully dissolved over a slow fire; suspend them till dry. 

To Make Waterproof Paper. — Dissolve 8 oz. alum and 3% oz. castile soap in 
2 quarts water; in another jar dissolve 2 oz. gum arabic and 4 oz. glue in 2 
quarts water; mix the solutions, heat slightly, dip in the single sheets, and hang 
up to dry. 

Waterproof Pasteboard. — This may be prepared with a mixture of 4 parts 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 485 

slacked lime in 3 of skimmed milk, with a little alum added. As soon as 
mixed, brush the pasteboard over with 2 successive coatings; it becomes imper- 
vious to water. 

To Make Transparent Tracing Paper.— (1) Saturate ordinary writing paper 
with kerosene and wipe the surface dry. Or (2) dissolve % oz. white beeswax 
in % pint turpentine; saturate the paper with this, and let dry 2 or 3 days. (3) 
Spirits of turpentine or benzoline will make paper transparent while wet with 
it; when dry it will be again opaque. 

To Make Paper Fireproof. — Prepare a strong solution of alum, steep the paper 
in it, and hang it up to dry. If not effectual the first time, repeat. 

Parchment Paper. — Take sulphuric acid, and mix in % its weight of water. 
A sheet of common writing paper dipped in this solution becomes somewhat like 
parchment, and for writing on is superior to animal parchment. It is fibrous, 
tough, hard, and waterproof. 

Manuscripts, when almost illegible, may be renovated by washing them very 
lightly and carefully with a very weak solution of f erro-cyanide of potash in 
clean water. The writing will again appear. 

To Restore Faded Writing. — Moisten the paper with water, and then brush 
it over with a solution of sulph-hydric ammonia. (See also the article on "Re- 
storing Obliterated Ink.") 

Scent for Note Paper. — Take 1^ oz. powdered starch, & drops attar of roses, 
% oz. powdered orris root; mix together, and put it in little silk bags to be kept 
in the writing desk. 

When patterns or papers roll, they can be flattened and smoothed by hold- 
ing them before a hot fire without waiting to heat an iron. 

Playing Cards, to Clean. — Mix a little butter and flour into a paste, and rub 
the cards with it, using a piece of clean soft flannel; then rub them with flour 
alone on a clean piece of flannel. 

Parchment and Yellum. — Benzine, applied with a sponge, will remove almost 
every stain, and does not injure the texture in the least. On no account must 
parchment be washed in very hot water, or held before a fire, as it will shrivel up 
provokingly. Acetic acid is sometimes used to take out stains, but it injures the 
gloss and leaves the parchment hard when dry, so that it is not a very successful 
plan. 

To Make Parchment Transparent— Soak a thin skin of it in a strong lye of 
wood ashes, often wringing it out till it becomes transparent; then strain it on a 
frame and let it dry. When dry, a coating on both sides with clear mastic var- 
nish, diluted with spirits of turpentine will improve it. 

Wall Paper. — Old paper should be removed from the walls before new is put 
on. It can be taken off easily by wetting it with saleratus water. Then brush 
over the walls with a weak solution of carbolic acid. The odor will soon disappear, 
and it will purify the walls and drive away insects. Should there be too much 
whitening on the walls, wet them with clear water, and scrape with a scraper. 
Then apply a thin coat of sizing made by dissolving common glue in water. 

In selecting wall paper striking contrasts should be avoided; choose neutral 
tints and colors which harmonize with the surroundings. Good taste may be 
displayed even if the paper is cheap. If the ceilings are low, paper with figures 
running perpendicularly will make them appear much higher. Before laying on the 
paper, if dirt or grease spots appear on the wall they should be washed off with 
weak lye. After papering a room no fire should be made in it for several days, 
or until the paper is perfectly dry. In buying paper get an extra roll — it will be 
useful later for repairs. 

For suitable pastes to use see our article elsewhere on "Pastes." 
To Clean Old Wall Paper. — (1) Blow off the dust with a bellows, and then 
take a loaf of stale bread (rye is best) cut it into pieces and, beginning at the 
top, go around the room, using the soft side of the bread and rubbing downwards, 
about 2 feet at a stroke. Rub lightly or you will rub the dirt in. Keep going 
round in this way, and working down, until the paper is all gone over. This will 
remove dust, smoke, whitewash, etc., and make the paper look almost like new. 
(2) Another excellent way to clean wall paper is to put about 2 quarts of wheat 
bran in a coarse flannel bag, and rub the wall as above directed. (3) Rubbing 
old wall paper with a flannel cloth dipped in dry cornmeal, or oatmeal, will 
much improve its appearance. 



486 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

A long handled brush, long enough to reach the ceilings, is as important to a 
good housekeeper as a broom. Brush the walls over in straight lines before 
sweeping; use either the brush itself, or have it covered with a clean soft cloth. 
This will keep the paper fresh and clean a long time. When the paper is only 
slightly soiled brushing it over with a broom or brush covered with clean calico 
cloth will make it look fresh and bright. It is easier than the use of stale bread 
which is best when the paper is very dirty. Change the cloth as often as it gets 
dirty. 

To Remove Grease Spots. — Lay blotting paper over them and press with a 
hot flat-iron; this melts the grease, and the blotting paper absorbs it. Do not 
have the iron too hot. 

To Remove Oil Stains or Marks Where People Have Rested Their Heads. — 
Mix pipeclay or fuller's earth to the consistency of cream, lay it on the spot, 
leave it till the next day, and remove it with a penknife or brush it off. If any 
trace remains repeat the operation. 

To Make a Size for Wall Paper. — Break up some glue small and put it into a 
pail; pour water over it and let it soak for a day. Then add more water and boil 
up till dissolved; strain it through a cloth and try it on the paper. If it glistens 
it is too thick; if it soaks in it is too thin. Have plenty of size on the brush and 
apply very lightly for the first coat. Give 2 coats of size, and when dry varnish 
with pale varnish. 

To Detect Arsenic in Wall Papers. — (1) Turn down an ordinary gas jet to a pin- 
point, until it is wholly blue; then take a strip of the suspected paper one-sixteenth 
inch wideband 2 or 3 inches long; when the edge of this paper is brought in con- 
tact with the outer edge of the gas flame a gray coloration (if arsenic is present) 
will be seen in the flame. The paper is burned a little, and the fumes given off 
will have a garlic-like odor, due to the vapor of arsenic acid. Now look at the 
charred end and it will be a bronze red. Place the charred end a second time, 
not too far in the flame, and the flame will be colored green. By this simple 
means, without apparatus, the presence of arsenic may be detected. (2) Or 
another method is to put a little strip of the suspected paper in a small saucer 
and cover it with ordinary household ammonia; after standing a few minutes a 
piece of lunar or stick caustic (nitrate of silver) should be dropped in; if a yellow 
precipitate forms arsenic is present, and the paper is not fit to use. It is generally 
thought that only green colors contain arsenic, but in fact paper of any color 
may contain it. The only safe way is to take a sample and test, or have it tested 
before buying. If there is any question, refer it to a chemist, and make the 
dealer pay the fee. You can't afford to run risks in such a matter. Arsenic 
papers are certainly very injurious to the health. 

An Easy Way to Repair Small Breaks in Wall Paper. — A better and more 
satisfactory way than patching the paper, is to touch in the broken spots with 
paint. A set of children's paints is good for this purpose. Mix the tints until 
the same shade is obtained as the broken spot in the paper, and it will hardly be 
noticed. Several colors can be worked in if needed. 

Holes Broken in the Plaster. — These may be repaired by taking equal parts 
of plaster of paris and the common white sand used in families for scouring pur- 
poses; mix them to a paste with water. Fill the holes with this, and smooth it 
off with any flat or ordinary kitchen knife; it will speedily dry, and can then be 
papered over. If mixed with vinegar instead of water it will not "set" so quickly. 

Fill cracks with the wall cement given among our "Cements." 

To remove the smoke of a kerosene lamp from a ceiling see "Lamps." 

(Jilt Cornices. — To Clean. — Wash them with warm milk, and polish with cha- 
mois skin. 

LEATHER. 

Castor Oil for Leather.-~Old leather can be partially renovated by being im- 
pregnated with castor oil, and new leather preserved thus, better than by any 
other process. It will render old boots soft and pliable and will not prevent them 
from taking blacking. It will double the wear of driving belts used on machin- 
ery, and will make old fire hose soft as new. It will also preserve the leather 
from the attacks of rats and insects. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 487 

Moldy Leather.— Remove the surface mold with a dry cloth, and with another 
cloth apply pyroligneous acid. 

Mildew on Leather.— Rub it gently with vaseline, to remove it. 

To Clean Buff Colored Leather. — -Dissolve 1 oz. oxalic acid in 1 pint of water; 
wash well with this, and then rub on a little clean tallow. 

To Clean Morocco Leather. — (1) Sponge the leather over with warm, soapy 
water to remove all dust and dirt, and then rub it over with a piece of clean cloth 
dipped in glaire. (2) Strain the leather well over a board, and scour well with a 
stiff brush, using tepid water and soft soap, made slightly acid with oxalic acid; 
do not saturate the leather, but keep the board inclined to let the water run off; 
when done, unstrain the leather and dry it in a cool place; when dry, rub a little 
oil lightly over the surface with a rag. 

To Restore the Luster of Morocco. — Take a sponge, dip it in the white of an 
egg, and varnish the leather over. 

To Make Leather Vermin Proof. — Apply castor oil mixed with tallow. 

Acids on Leather. — All acids and acid preparations destroy the life of leather. 
For preserving its life nothing better has ever been found than castor oil. 

Patent and enameled leather will stick together if the glazed sides are 
placed together in warm weather. To separate them when thus stuck place the 
leather in a drying or other hot room; when hot they can be separated without 
injury; or spread them on a tin roof on a hot day and they will soon heat enough 
to separate. Any attempt to separate them without heating to a high degree 
will spoil them. 

To Tan or Cure Small Skins with the Fur On. — (1) Clean off the flesh thor- 
oughly, and then spread butter all over the flesh side, and then tramp on them or 
otherwise work the butter thoroughly into the skin, until it is pliable and thor- 
oughly cured. Skins thus treated are soft, pliable and very satisfactory. (2) 
Take % lb. alum, 34 lb. sulphate of soda, 2 oz. sulphur, 3 oz. sulphate of potash, 
3 oz. salt; mix all in 1 quart of water. Spread this on the flesh side, fold the skin 
in the middle flesh to flesh; leave thus 3 or 4 days, and then hang up to dry. It 
will be soft, pliable and well tanned. The above amount will do for 1 dogskin, 
sheepskin, calfskin, etc. Double the amount for a small hide for a robe; heavier 
hides in proportion. (3) For a sheepskin for a rug, boil the skin in a suds contain- 
ing a little sal soda; then soak over night in a solution of % lb- each of alum and 
common salt, with just enough water to cover. Then tack it to a smooth surface, 
flesh side out, to dry, and while damp sprinkle it with powdered alum and salt- 
petre. In a few days scrape it with pumice stone, when it will become soft and 
pliable. Line with heavy flannel, and scallop the edges, allowing these to project 
enough to give a pretty ornamental finish to the rug. 

To Make Qlaire. — (1) Whip up the white of eggs and allow it to stand; pour 
off the clear liquid and that is what is used. (2) Beat the whites of eggs with an 
equal quantity of water, and add a little sugar candy. 

To Make Leather Waterproof. — Coat it with a solution of India rubber and 
boiled linseed oil. 

To Wash Chamois Skin. — Rub plenty of soft soap into the skin, and then soak 
it for 2 hours in a weak solution of soda and warm water; then rub till it is quite 
clean, and rinse well in a weak solution of warm water, soda, and yellow soap. If 
rinsed in clear water alone it will become hard; it is the little soap left in the 
lather which enables it to become soft like silk. After rinsing, wring well in a 
rough towel, dry quickly, and then pull and brush it thoroughly. It will be bet- 
ter than most new leather, and this is the best way to clean it. Chamois jackets 
or any chamois article can be cleaned this way. 

Care of Boots and Shoes. — By taking a little care of boots and shoes they can be 
made to wear much longer, and they will always look better. Do not use much of 
the dressings so fashionable for ladies' and children's shoes — most of them crack 
the leather and ruin it. Do not leave shoes kicking about when not in use, but 
on taking them off, air them a while, brush off the mud or dirt, oil or polish 
them, put them in a box or shoe bag, and when wanted they will be in good con- 
dition. The family shoe bill can be reduced % by a little intelligent care. 

Acid Blackings. — These are generally used for boots and shoes until every 
particle of oil in the leather is destroyed. To remedy this, wash off the blacking 
and apply castor oil; then set away for 1 or 2 days. This will renew the elasticity 



498 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

and life of the leather and prevent its cracking. Oil blackings are best for boots 
and shoes, as acid blacking destroys the life of the leather. 

Care of Kid Boots. — For an excellent polish beat up the white of an egg with 
an equal quantity of water and a little sugar candy; if well made it is quite trans- 
parent and not at all sticky. It is good for all fine leather, especially kid. Touch 
up kid boots with a mixture of castor oil and ink. The ink blackens and the oil 
softens them, and keeps them in fine condition. Or, to restore the color, mix a 
little good polish blacking with the white of an egg, and apply. 

To Clean White Satin Shoes. — These should be kept closely wrapped in blue 
paper — they will not bear exposure to the air. When slightly soiled, they may 
be cleaned with stale bread or cornmeal ; if very dirty, wipe lengthwise of the 
satin with a clean flannel dipped in spirits of wine, or with gasoline. 

To Clean Patent Leather Shoes.— Wipe off mud, etc., with a sponge moistened 
with lukewarm water and afterwards rub with a soft cloth or old silk handker- 
chief. Rub occasionally with a little milk, or sweet oil, and soft cloth. Black 
and polish the edge of the sole in the usual way, but without covering the patent 
leather top. Patent leather cracks easily when cold, so it should be kept warm. 

To Clean Tan Shoes. — Dissolve a tablespoon of salt in warm water; mix with 
it 1 pint cold water, in which 1 oz. salts of lemon has been dissolved. Wash 
the boots or shoes with a little of this preparation and dry them well. Polish 
them off afterwards with soft flannel, or an old silk handkerchief. 

To Clean Top Boots. — Clean the lower part in the usual way, but protect the 
top by inserting a fold of cloth under the edges and bringing it up over them. 
When cleaning the top let this covering fall down over the lower part. Clean 
the top by washing with soap and flannel, and rub out any spots with pumice 
stone. If the tops are wanted whiter, dissolve 1 oz. of oxalic acid, % oz. of 
muriatic acid, % oz. of alum, J£ oz. of gum arabic, and 3^ oz. of spirit of lavender, 
in 1% pints of skimmed milk "turned." Apply by means of a sponge, and polish 
when dry, with a rubber or soft flannel. 

Brown Leather may be cleaned with this last preparation. 

Wash for Boot Tops.— Mix in a phial 1 drachm of chlorate of potash with 2 
oz. distilled water, and, when the potash is dissolved, add 2 oz. of muriatic acid. 
Then shake well together in another phial, 3 oz. of strong spirits of wine, with % 
oz. of essential oil of lemons; then unite the contents of the 2 phials, and keep the 
liquid thus prepared closely corked for use. This liquid should be applied with 
a clean sponge; then dried with a gentle heat, and polished with a soft brush. 
The tops will appear like new leather. 

To Restore Color to Leather. — Take a small quantity of good black ink, mix 
it with the white of an egg, and apply with a sponge. 

To Soften the Leather. — To make the leather soft and pliable castor oil is 
better than any other. A teaspoon of castor oil rubbed into shoes by the fire 
when they are new, and repeated occasionally afterwards, will add greatly to 
their wear. 

To Ease Boots Slightly Tight at the Heel.— Rub the inside of the heel with 
dry soap. 

To Tie a Shoestring. — First tie a single (not double) bow-knot; then using 
the long end of the string and the loop or bow already formed tie them into a 
bow-knot. A firm knot will result which will not untie of itself. 

To Make Boots and Shoes Wear. — Turn the boots or shoes bottom upwards 
and see that the soles are dry. If new, scrape the black off the bottom of the 
heel. Then apply, a few hours apart, as many coats of thin varnish as will soak 
in. The second day after applying the last coat begin to wear the boot so that it 
will shape itself to the foot while moist. This will make the soles waterproof 
and greatly increase their wear. For the uppers, apply while warm, 4 parts of 
lard to 1 of resin, well mixed. 

If two pairs of shoes are worn alternately, allowing 1 pair to rest while the 
other is worn, they will wear much longer than if 1 pair is worn continuously. 
Taking off the shoes worn in the street, when in the house, is both restful, and 
gives the shoes a chance to air and dry. 

Drying Wet Boots. — Fill them with oats, instead of drying before the fire. 
These absorb the moisture and keep the boots in shape. Shake out the oats 
next day. Or, stuff them with paper to keep them in shape. Never dry wet 
boots or shoes quickly before the fire — it hardens them. Dry them slowly. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 489 

To Soften Wet Boots and Shoes. — Take 1 gill linseed oil, 1 oz. spirits of turpen- 
tine, % oz - Burgundy pitch, and 1 oz. beeswax; melt together, and rub into the 
leather, when quite dry, before the fire. Good also for preserving leather from 
rain and sea water. Applying castor oil is also excellent; kerosene is sometimes 
used, but is not so good. 

To Stop Squeaking. — (1) Soak the soles for a couple of hours in linseed oil. 
(2) Drive a couple of pegs in the middle of the soles. (3) Shake a little French 
chalk through a small hole made in the inner sole. 

Waterproof Soles for Shoes. — Melted beeswax, thinned with sweet oil, and 
poured with a spoon on to the soles of shoes or boots, warmed before the fire, 
until no more will soak in, will make them waterproof and much more durable. 

Shoe Dressing. — Take 1 oz. gum shellac, 3^ oz. borax, 1 packet slate Diamond 
dye, and 1 pint boiling water; cut the shellac in a little alcohol, or put it in a 
dish and set it over boiling water till dissolved. Moisten the dye in a little cold 
water, then pour over the boiling water and dissolve the borax in the same; then 
add this, while hot, to the dissolved shellac, and thoroughly mix them together; 
bottle for use while warm. A good dressing and easily made at home. 

Waterproof Dressing.— Take 1 pint of drying oil, 2 oz. yellow wax, 2 oz. tur- 
pentine, $4, oz - Burgundy pitch; melt together over a slow fire. Apply with a 
sponge and the boots will be waterproof, and will never shrivel. 

Waterproof Blacking. — Put 34 lb. of shellac in a large nosed bottle, and 
cover it with alcohol; cork it and leave for a few days until fully cut. Then add 
% oz. of lampblack, and a heaping tablespoon of gum camphor, and let stand 3 
or 4 days, stirring it occasionally until well dissolved. Apply with an old cloth 
to the leather. 

Japan Blacking for Boots and Shoes. — Take 8 parts of treacle, 1 part of lamp- 
black, 1 part of sweet oil, 1 part of gum arabic, 1 part of isinglass, 32 parts water, 
1 oz. spirits of wine, and a little ox-gall. Mix the treacle, lampblack, sweet oil, 
gum and isinglass in the water; set over the fire to heat, stirring it well; add the 
spirits of wine and ox-gall, and bottle as soon as possible. Apply with a sponge, 
and warm the bottle before using. 

Polish. — Take of ivory black and treacle each 4 oz., sulphuric acid 1 oz., best 
olive oil 2 spoonfuls, best white wine vinegar 3 cups; mix the ivory-black and 
treacle well in an earthen jar; then add the sulphuric acid, continuing to stir the 
mixture; next pour in the oil; and lastly add the vinegar, stirring it in by degrees 
until thoroughly incorporated. A good polish — better than many sold in stores, 
but it is an acid blacking. 



WOODENWARE. 

To Take the Woody Taste out of New Woodenware. — Scald it out first with 
boiling hot water, and leave it in until it gets cold; then empty it out. Next 
make a lye of warm water and soda (say 1 lb. soda to % barrel of soft water) and 
to this add a little lime; wash out the article thoroughly with this mixture. Then 
take clear hot water and scald it out again, and finally rinse it out well with 
clean cold water. 

To Sweeten Woodenware. — An excellent thing to sweeten woodenware is hay 
water; charcoal is also good. 

New Woodenware. — New wooden articles should be prepared for domestic 
use by a thorough soaking in cold water, and scalding them afterwards. A new 
wooden bowl put into a large kettle of cold brine and heated to the boiling point 
and then allowed to cool, will be less likely to crack. It is an excellent plan to 
grease a new wooden bowl inside and out, before it is used at all; let it stand 1 or 
2 days to soak in, and then scour well until quite clear from grease. 

Washing Woodenware.— Wash utensils made of wood at once after_ being 
used, because if grease and dirt are once allowed to soak into the wood it may 
be impossible to restore them. Wash woodenware with lukewarm water and 
soap, adding a little soda; then rinse with cold water, and wipe as dry as possible. 
In washing a wooden bowl dry it well with a cloth, and then set it away in a cool 
place. Never dry it near the fire, as that cracks it. 

Drying Woodenware. — In drying any woodenware, like molding-boards, chop- 

30 



490 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

ping-bowls, etc., never put them near the fire after being washed. Dry them 
with a cloth and then put them in a cool place, as they will crack and warp if 
exposed to dry heat while damp. 

Pails and Tubs. — These may be kept from shrinking by saturating them with 
glycerine. A pailful of water put into a tub as soon as you are through using it 
will keep it from warping. Scald out woodenware often, say once a week for 
pails in active use, using boiling hot water and soda. Two or three coats of copal 
varnish applied to the inside of new wooden pails will keep them from water 
soaking, or from flavoring the water. 

Wooden Spoons. — These can be kept from splitting if as soon as bought, and 
before being used, they are greased thoroughly with lard or butter; let it soak in 
well, laying them near the fire to effect it. Treat wooden forks the same way. 

Incombustible Varnish for Wood. — Make a solution of equal parts of isinglass 
and alum, apply it to the wood and let dry. Fluids can be boiled over an ordi- 
nary fire in a wooden vessel thus coated. 

Casks. — Before being filled these should be scalded out with boiling water, 
allowed to cool, and examined as to their cleanliness. If a cask smells sour, 
especially in summer weather, put in dry lime through the bung-hole, breaking 
it up into small pieces, and put in perhaps 4 lbs. to a barrel; then put in about I 
gallons of boiling water, bung it up, and leave several hours, occasionally rolling 
it about. Then empty it out, wash out the cask well, steam it, let it cool, and it 
will be fit to contain anything. Another way to treat a musty cask is to burn a 
little sulphur in it while empty, close the bung, and let it stand a day or so. 

Casks in which the inside has been charred will preserve water, salt meat, etc., 
for some time. 

To Clean Cider Casks.— (1) Half fill with boiling water, add J^ lb. pearlash, 
bung up, turn over occasionally for two days, empty, and wash with boiling 
water. (2) Scald out with boiling water; if the heads are out put the cask over 
a fire of straw for a few minutes so as to slightly char the inside. If you have a 
steam boiler, partly fill the cask with water, put a steam pipe through the bung- 
hole into the water, turn on the steam, and so boil it. 

Barrels, to Clean. — Put into the barrel a few lbs. of unslacked lime, add water 
and close tight; let stand awhile, then put in more water and roll the barrel; 
then empty it and rinse out thoroughly with clean water. 

To Clean Old Vinegar Barrels. — Fill them with milk of lime and leave it in 
for several months; then rinse them out thoroughly with warm water, and steam 
the inside for % hour. Old vinegar barrels become so impregnated with acetous 
substances that it is difficult to render them fit for storing other liquids. 



FEATHERS AND HAIR. 

Feathers. — To Clean and Purify. — Put the feathers from beds, pillows, etc., in 
bags, soak them % hour or so in boiling hot water containing soda, then rinse 
them well through 2 or 3 waters, put them through a wringer; shake them up 
and dry in the hot sun, turning occasionally and drying them as rapidly as pos- 
sible, until apparently dry, and then lay them in a warm oven on a board or paper 
till light and dry. 

Feather pillows laid out on clean grass till thoroughly wet through during a 
heavy rain storm will be made fresh and light; dry in the shade, but never ex- 
pose them to the direct rays of the sun. 

A Hint. — Bed ticking which is so thick that the air cannot penetrate it read- 
ily should have a goose quill sewed in each corner to admit the air, and thus 
ventilate the feathers. 

To Clean Feathers from their Own Animal Oil. — Steep them in 1 gallon of 
water mixed with 1 lb. of lime; stir them well, and then pour off the water, and 
rinse the feathers in cold spring water. To clean feathers from dirt, simply wash 
them in hot water with soap; rinse in hot water, and dry them. 

Neio goose feathers which have a disagreeable odor may be freed from it by 
washing them in water with baking soda; then rinse them in water containing 
ammonia, then twice in clear water; run through the wringer, and dry. 

Swansdown. — This may be cleaned by tacking strips on a piece of muslin j 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 491 

then wash it well, using the best white soap and warm water. Rinse in clean 
cold water, and dry in the wind. Then soften the feather by carefully rubbing 
it between the fingers, after taking it off from the muslin. It will look like 
new. 

To Clean White Ostrich Feathers. — Prepare a thick, warm lather of white 
soap; let the feathers soak in this a few minutes (have a pan long enough to let 
the feathers lay straight), and then draw the feathers through the fingers, using 
a moderate degree of pressure, and repeating until they are clean; rinse in clear 
warm water to take out the soap, and then in another water containing a little 
bluing, and a few drops of spirits of salt; then draw through the fingers to 
squeeze out all the water possible, shake well, and dry before a moderate fire, 
shaking occasionally. When dry, curl them. 

For cream colored feathers wash as above, but omit the bluing and add a 
little coffee to the last water in which they are rinsed. Afterwards the edges 
may be very prettily tinted by using an old red rose leaf, moistened a little. 

Darker colored feathers can be washed in the same way, but neither bluing 
nor coffee should be used in the rinsing water. 

Grebe Feathers. — These may be washed with warm soft water and white soap, 
much like white ostrich feathers, but do not shake them until quite dry. 

To Curl Ostrich Plumes. — (1) Heat them over a hot stove or flat-iron, and, 
using a bone, ivory or dull silver blade, draw the fibers of the feather between the 
finger and the dull edge of the blade; begin at the point of the plume, and take 
not more than 3 fibers at a time; curl % °? them the opposite way. If the stem 
needs bending hold it around a warm stove pipe or lamp chimney. (2) Another 
and easy way to curl plumes is to put sugar or salt on" a hot stove, or corn cobs 
and salt on a pan of coals, and hold the plume in the smoke, shaking it about, 
and turning every part to the smoke; the more you shake the plume the better 
it will look; be careful not to scorch it. 

Broken Feathers. — A broken feather may be repaired by sewing bonnet wire 
along the under side nicely, choosing silk thread that matches the color of the 
plume, and using a long button hole stitch. 

Cleaning the Feathers on Stuffed Birds. — (1) Naturalists clean the feathers 
of stuffed specimens of birds by covering them over with a thin paste made of 
common starch and cold water. Let it dry a couple of days, and then " fillip " it 
off gently, beginning at the bird's head and going on regularly down to the tail, 
which leaves the feathers beautifully "plumed." (2) Feathers on stuffed speci- 
mens are also cleaned by putting on them a paste made of pipeclay and water, 
rubbing them one way only; when quite dry shake off the powder. 

" Setting " Feathers. — Feathers on stuffed birds may be " set " by merely 
arranging them naturally with a needle, or any pointed instrument. 

To Bleach Feathers. — (1) First remove the oily matter by immersing them for 
a short time in naphtha or benzine; then rinse them in the same a second time, 
and thoroughly dry them by exposure to the air. Then bleach them by expos- 
ing them to the vapor of burning sulphur, in a moist atmosphere. This process 
will not injure the feathers. (2) Prepare a warm soapsuds (at 175° to 185°) and 
soak the feathers in it a few hours; then suspend them on a thread and expose 
them to the direct rays of the sun, moistening them frequently. 

Dying Feathers. — Feathers may be dyed beautifully by using the aniline 
dyes that are put up for dying Easter eggs, etc., and which can be bought at the 
stores. Various colors' can be bought, and many shades may be produced by 
combinations of them, and by diluting them more or less with water. To pro- 
duce grey feathers, with white spots, fasten thick paper on the places designed 
to be white, and spatter the balance nicely and evenly with India ink or brown 
aniline. 

Curled Hair. — To clean this, select a pleasant day and take the hair out of the 
mattress carefully so as not to be choked with the dust. Pick it over thoroughly 
and wash it through strong soapsuds several times, doing only a little at a time. 
Then rinse thoroughly; wring as dry as possible, and spread it out thinly be- 
tween 2 sheets of muslin. Then baste the ends, and quilt it in a few places in 
the middle, and hang it out to dry. Choose an empty room to do it in, because, 
gf the dust it makes. 



492 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 



CLOTHING AND CLOTH. 



Care of Clothing. — Clothing of any kind will last very much longer when 
properly cared for, than it will when carelessly handled and neglected. It is sur- 
prising how heedless some people are about the care of their clothes, and how 
much can be saved in the clothing bill of a family by a little intelligent care. 

The quantity of clothes should be considered. It is a great mistake to think 
that in order to dress well it is necessary to have a very large wardrobe. Too 
many clothes are worse than useless. They lie unused, soon go out of style, and 
no benefit is derived from them. To dress well at moderate expense, get what 
clothes you need, and no more; take good care of those you have, and when they 
wear out buy more. This is equally true of underclothing and outside garments. 
Sensible people no longer pride themselves on possessing larger stocks of any 
garments than they really need. 

In caring for clothes, as in so many other things, it is of the first importance 
to have a place for everything, and to put everything in its place. This is at 
times a little difficult in small houses where one is crowded for room, and yet 
even here a little planing and management will often accomplish wonders. Any 
one with the spirit of order will find vastly more room than a disorderly and 
thoughtless person would think possible. Devise shoe bags, and the many 
other conveniences which the ingenious housewife can make herself and utilize 
so well. 

Never put clothing of any kind away without first cleaning it. Look it over 
also, and make any little repairs that may be needed. Clothing which is put 
away in good condition will come out fresh and bright, but if put away dusty and 
dirty, the dust will take hold of it, and it will soon look seedy and ill-cared for. 
On taking off woolen goods, see that they are well shaken and brushed; let vel- 
vet and silk be wiped with a flannel, and let merino, serge, cashmere, and similar 
fabrics be thoroughly brushed. Put a clothes brush in every bed room, or pro- 
vide enough so that there will be no excuse for any member of the family who 
neglects to use one. Silk dresses should never be brushed, but rub them with a 
soft piece of merino or flannel, kept for the purpose. 

If caught in the rain or when clothing becomes damp for any reason, give it 
immediate attention. Do not carelessly hang it up, but spread it out to dry, 
after shaking it well. If creases appear when it is dry, iron them out, but on no 
account put clothing away at all damp; that speedily causes mildew. As rain 
and damp speedily take the freshness and beauty out of garments, it is always 
wise to wear one's older clothes in unpleasant weather, reserving the best gar- 
ments for pleasant days; the best clothes are not expected in unpleasant weather. 

Putting Away Clothing. — The manner of putting away clothes is important. 
All skirts, jackets, and waterproofs should have loops attached by which they 
can be hung. The bulging out occasioned by hanging directly on a hook spoils 
the appearance of a garment. If a skirt is provided with 3 bands — 1 on the 
right side, 1 on the left, and 1 at the back to hold up the drapery (as it should 
be) it is much better to hang it up, than to fold it and lay it away. The best 
way to deal with good dresses is to hang them by their loops in large bags made 
of old sheets. Make these bags to button down the front so that the dresses can 
be put in easily. Stuff out the bows and busts with papers — royal ladies always 
have their dresses put away thus, it is said. This will obviate all necessity for 
turning a dress inside out before hanging it up — a process which makes creases, 
spoils trimmings, and tends to make a skirt lie flat. 

When packing away silk or woolen goods which you fear may turn yellow 
break up a few cakes of white beeswax, fold these pieces loosely in old thin 
handkerchiefs, and place them among the goods. Pin the goods in old white 
linen sheets if you have them; if not, use cotton. 

Mantles, bodices and waistcoats should be neatly folded, so as to keep them 
as straight as possible, and laid flat on a shelf, covered with paper or muslin, to 
keep them from the dust. They should never be hung up. 

Cotton and muslin dresses should not be put away with the starch in them, 
as that tends to make them rot. Leave them rough-dried when they are not to 
be worn for some time. 

If silk garments are laid away wrapped in paper, do »ot use white, as the color 



ALt ABOUT THE HOtTStL M 

of the silk may be impaired by the chloride of lime, which is used for bleaching 
white paper. The best paper to use is probably the yellow India paper, and next 
to that is brown or blue. Do not buy silk intended for dresses, long in advance 
of its use, as it is liable to crack or split, if kept lying in folds long, especially if 
it is stiffened with gum. 

Ribbons. — The best way to keep ribbons is to roll them round a block and 
then wrap them in soft paper. 

Creases. — These can usually be removed with a little effort. If a garment is 
hung before a fire they will often disappear. If not, dampen them a little, lay on 
a piece of paper or muslin, and press with a cool iron. 

At the close of each season go over the articles which have been worn, and 
sort out and dispose of them, instead of packing them all away together. Arti- 
cles which can be worn again should be brushed, repaired, and put away; those 
which are to be pulled to pieces, should be so treated at once, and cleaned or 
dyed, as the case may be. If left as they are they will deteriorate in condition 
and occupy valuable room. Articles of no further use to you should be given to 
some poor person, or sold to the rag man. 

Having sorted out and cleaned the clothing, pack it away for the season. 
Fold it carefully so that no needless wrinkles will be formed, and pack it away 
in a chest or trunk. Put the heaviest articles at the bottom, and lay the others 
on carefully. A good way to pack them is to lay out a sheet in the trunk and lay 
on a newspaper; then lay in the clothing, sprinkling it well with camphor, cedar 
shavings, or any other moth preventive (see our article on insect pests), and then 
covering it with a newspaper, draw the sheet together and pin it so that the edges 
all overlap each other. Then shut and fasten the chest or trunk. 

Men's Clothing. — This is quite as much benefited by care as that of ladies. 
Coats are best kept in shape by hanging them on the wire frames which are now 
so easily obtained, and are so cheap. When a frame is not used hang them by a 
loop, and not directly on the hook by the collar. Brush the coat carefully on 
taking it off, and before putting it away. 

On taking off trousers which have been worn in wet weather, and, possibly, 
turned up at the bottom, shake them, pull them out lengthwise, and dry them 
under pressure. Keep them hung up on the wire frames, made for the purpose, 
like the coat frames. A trousers stretcher will take out wrinkles and creases 
and is a good investment. If that is not used, nor the wire frames, fold them as 
the tailor folds them before they are laid away. Trousers, like shoes, wear 
longer, and keep in shape better, if 2 pairs are kept and worn alternately. Fre- 
quent changing and stretching between times, will keep them from becoming 
baggy at the knees. Another good plan for hanging them up is to have a pair of 
suspenders for each pair of trousers and on taking off a pair to hang them by the 
suspenders on 2 hooks about as far apart as a man's shoulders. This keeps 
them in shape. Turning them inside out before hanging them up is another 
good plan. 

Burning Clothing. — When the clothing takes fire the first impulse of the vic- 
tim is to rush somewhere, but that is the worst thing to do, as it causes a draught 
and increases the flames. A bystander should throw the victim on the ground 
and then try and smother the flames by wrapping her in anything at hand, like a 
coat, rug, blanket or table cover. Try and keep the flames from the neck and face, 
and from being breathed, so wrap first at the shoulders and then work down. 
A lady who is alone in a house, and whose clothes take fire, should sieze any- 
thing at hand and at once lie down, wrapping herself in it and rolling over. In 
this way the flames may be extinguished, but if she runs out into the air it will 
only make it worse. If the house was on fire she might run into the yard and 
throw herself on the ground, but should go no further. 

At once throwing some flour, when it is convenient, on the clothing which is 
set on fire by an exploding lamp or the spilling of oil, may put out the flames and 
prevent a terrible accident. 

Fireproof Clothing.— -The following plans for rendering clothing uninflammable 
are the results of many experiments, and are taken largely from French and Ger- 
man authorities. Children's clothing and muslin dresses, should be fireproofed 
when laundered. (1) Put 1 or 2 oz. of alum in the last water used in rinsing 
children's clothes. It renders them less inflammable. (2) Take 8 parts sulphate 



494 AtL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

of ammonia, 2)4 parts carbonate of ammonia, 2 parts boracic acid, 1% parts 
borax, 2 parts starch, and 100 parts water; mix, and starch the dresses with this 
compound. (3) Take 5 parts boracic acid, 15 parts sal ammoniac, 5 parts felspar, 
1/^ parts gelatine, 50 parts starch, and 100 parts water; mix, and apply with a 
brush. (4) Mix 5 parts alum, 5 parts ammonium phosphate, and 100 parts water. 
(5) Take 3 parts borax, 2% parts Epsom salts, 20 parts water. (6) Use a more or 
less concentrated solution of sulphate of potassium and alum. (7) If fabrics are 
steeped in almost any saline solution, such as alum, borax, sal ammoniac, etc., 
they will not take fire readily, and if ignited will not burst into flames. A simple 
plan is to add about 1 oz. of alum to the last water used to rinse a dress, or set of 
bed furniture; even a less quantity addecf to the starch used to stiffen them will 
answer, and may prevent a painful accident. 

Waterproofing Cloth. — (1) Dissolve, separately, equal parts of alum, soap, and 
isinglass, in sufficient water to make a tolerably strong solution. Then mix all 
together, and apply the mixture on the wrong side, thoroughly saturating the cloth; 
then dry it. Then brush the cloth thoroughly, first with a dry brush, and afterwards 
lightly with a brush dipped in a little water. (2) For woolen cloth, make 2 sepa- 
rate solutions; first, dissolve 1 lb. sugar of lead in 1 gallon of water; second, dis- 
solve 1 lb. alum in 1 gallon water. Dip the cloth to be waterproofed first in the 
solution of lead, and, when nearly dry, dip it in the solution of alum; then dry it 
in the air or before the fire. This process is very effectual, and may be used for 
coats and other garments even after made up. (3) For linen, canvas or other 
cloth, brush the cloth with a solution of isinglass, and, when dry, with a solution 
of nutgalls; the last solution changes the gelatinous mass of isinglass into a sort 
of leather. (4) Spread the cloth wrong side up on any smooth surface, rub it 
with a piece of pure beeswax till it presents a slight but even white or grayish 
appearance, pass over it a hot iron, brush it while warm and the process is com- 
plete. (5) Take 3 quarts pale linseed oil, 2 oz. sugar of lead, and 8 oz. white 
resin; grind the sugar of lead with a little of the resin and add it to the remainder, 
which should be incorporated with the oil by means of gentle heat. Apply it to 
calico or similar material with a brush. It makes calico both waterproof and 
transparent, so that it may be used to cover cucumber frames, etc., instead of 
glass. (6) An India rubber waterproofing. Put 4 parts of spermaceti and 1 
part India rubber into an earthen jar and melt them over a slow fire, but as it 
takes the India rubber some hours to melt it should be cut into very fine pieces; 
when melted, add 10 parts tallow and 5 parts copal varnish, mixing all well; ap- 
ply with a stiff brush. This may be used to waterproof calico, alpaca, or any 
other light material, or applied to leather gaiters, boots, shoes, etc. (7) Cloth 
coated with linseed oil, to which a little wax and litharge have been added, will 
be waterproof. 

To Prepare Oiled Silk. — Melt and mix well together, 1 part beeswax, 3 parts 
ground litharge, 15 parts boiled oil; add 3 parts of some coloring matter if desired. 
Stretch the silk out tight in breadths, and apply the mixture with a brush till it 
is well saturated; when dry, the silk will be perfectly waterproof. 

Velvet. — Make up articles in velvet the reverse way of the pile, that is so the 
pile inclines upwards; this will prevent their looking white. 

To Restore Crushed Velvet. — Crushed velvet may be restored, that is, the pile 
may be raised when it is crushed or flattened, by well steaming the wrong side 
over the spout of a boiling tea-kettle; or, cover a hot flat-iron with a wet cloth, 
and hold the velvet, nap outside, firmly over it, thus steaming it; then gently 
comb up the nap. 

Cuts or faults in velvet or plush are concealed by very careful seaming on 
the wrong side. Insert the needle half the thickness of the material, leaving 
no stitches visible on the upper surface, and the sewing is drawn till the edges 
just meet, and no more. Be careful to work in all stray filaments, so that no 
fluffiness disturbes the smoothness of the pile. 

Faded Plush or Aniline Dyed Articles. — When, from exposure to light, plush 
goods, or any articles dyed with aniline colors, become faded, if they are sponged 
over with chloroform their color will be fully restored. Use commercial chloro- 
form, which is cheaper than the purified. 

Marks on Plush. — These may be removed by holding the wrong side over 
steam, and combing up the pile. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 495 

Dress Mending. — Instead of patching a round hole in a silk or woolen dress 
carefully smooth the frayed parts about the tear, spread thin mucilage or the 
gum tragacanth paste given among our pastes, on the under side, lay on a piece 
of the same cloth, place on a heavy weight and let it dry. The patch can hardly 
be noticed. 

Gloves. — Care of Gloves. — When taken off they should be smoothed out 
lengthwise and laid away flat. Keep them dry, and away from the light and air. 
Gloves rolled together after being taken off will soon look shabby. If gloves do 
not go on readily, breathe in them, or warm them gently before the fire, or lay 
them for 3 or 4 minutes in a damp (not wet) towel. Do not attempt to put on 
the thumb until the fingers are in, working them quite to the end. 

To Clean Kid Gloves. — (1) White and light colored kid gloves may be 
cleaned by putting them on, and, filling a bowl with cornmeal, dip in the hands 
and rub them thoroughly with the meal, as though washing the hands; or dip a 
piece of flannel in the meal and thoroughly rub it on the gloves. It cleans them 
nicely. Undressed kid may be best cleaned in the same way. (2) Dip a piece of 
flannel in milk, and then rub it on good glycerine or yellow soap, and, beginning 
at the wrists, rub towards the tips of the fingers; first, however, lay the gloves 
out smoothly on a clean cloth. Leave till dry, then pull gently in all direc- 
tions till soft. If the gloves have been made too wet, they must be fitted on the 
hands again when half dry. (3) Put the gloves on, and wash the hands in gaso- 
line or benzine. This cleans kid well, especially white, but fades some colors. 
The unpleasant odor soon evaporates. (4) Rubbing with stale bread crumbs 
cleans gloves sufficiently sometimes. 

To Renovate Black Kid. — Mix a little good black ink with a little sweet or 
salad oil; apply it with a sponge or flannel, and dry in the sun. 

Dying Gloves. — Light colored kid gloves may be dyed black as follows: Take 
a bowl, put in % cup of logwood chips, cover them with alcohol, and let stand 24 
or 48 hours. Then put on the gloves, take a piece of flannel and dip it in the 
solution, and rub it on the gloves over every part; let it dry, and repeat the opera- 
tion. To dye yellow. A simple decoction of onion peel is said to produce upon 
glove leather an orange yellow superior to any other. Aniline colors can be em- 
ployed without any previous preparation of the leather. The bluish tint so 
much liked in black gloves, is obtained by washing the finished article with a 
solution of sal ammoniac. White gloves may be given a pretty shade, by dipping 
them in strong coffee. 

Buckskin Gloves. — To clean: (1) Wash 3 times in clean (not hot) soap lather. 
Put in a little blue, wring them well, and put them in as good form as you can; 
when nearly dry, but sufficiently damp to form to the hand, put them on (if dif- 
ficult to get them on dampen a little); then press or push them off, dry, away 
from the fire, and they will be as good as new. (2) Take 34 lb. Paris white, 3^ lb. 
scraped pipeclay, and 3 oz. best isinglass; boil all together, stirring while boil- 
ing. Lay this compound on thick; when dry, beat it out by clapping the hands 
well together, brushing, etc. Then carefully iron the gloves with a hot smooth- 
ing iron. 

Washleather Gloves.— Take out grease spots by rubbing with magnesia or 
cream of tartar. T© wash (1) make a strong lather with curd soap and warm 
water; lay the glove flat on a board or other unyielding surface; dip a piece of 
flannel in the soap lather, and rub the glove thoroughly, in every part, till all the 
dirt is out; then rinse, first in warm water and then in cold. Dry in the sun or 
before a moderate fire. (2) Put the gloves on the hands and wash them with soap 
and-lukewarm water. When quite clean, pull them off carefully, and lay them 
in the sun to dry; put them on before they are quite dry, and stretch them to 
keep them from getting hard. 

Suede, Buckskin or Chamois Gloves are sometimes cleaned by rubbing them 
with stale bread crumbs. Or mix powdered alum and fuller's earth, dip a stiff 
brush in the mixture and rub the gloves with it. 

Cloth Gloves.- To clean these, pour in a bowl a little of the cleaning com- 
pound No. 3, given elsewhere, and wash the gloves in it; when nearly cleaned 
rinse them in a clean lot of the same solution; if very dirty rinse again; then rub 
with a soft flannel cloth to smooth out the wrinkles, and dry them. 

Gloves of all kinds are better and more shapely if put on wooden hands or 
glove trees to dry, when wet by washing them. 



*. 



496 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE, 

Bonnets and Hats. — To Clean Straw Bonnets. — They may be washed with 
soap and water, then rinsed in clean water, and dried in the air. Afterwards 
wash them over with white of egg, well beaten. The wires must be removed be^ 
fore washing. (2) Wash whitestraw hats with citric acid solution, as directed 
for men's white straw hats (which see). (3) Black hats can be washed with clear 
strong coffee; then apply 3 coats of good liquid shoe polish or blacking, letting 
each coat dry before applying the next. The hat will look like new. 

To Dye Straw Bonnets. — For black: boil 2 lbs. logwood and % lb. fustic 
together for 4 hours; remove all wires, and boil the bonnets in this first; then 
add 34 lb. green copperas, and reboil the articles 1 hour longer; expose them to 
the air for 10 minutes, then place them in the liquid again for 1 hour; then dry 
and brush. This will suffice for 12 bonnets. For brown: take % lb. fustic 
chips, 34 lb- of peachwood, % oz of madder;, boil these for 4 hours; add % lb. of 
green copperas; boil for 2 hours; dry and brush. For gray: boil % oz. of cud- 
bear for 3 hours; add 2 oz. blue paste; mix with as much water as will cover the 
bonnets; let them remain in soak 10 clear days; rinse and dry, and they are 
ready for blocking. This is sufficient for 6 bonnets. For red: prepare a potash 
lye, and boil in it some ground Brazilwood, making it strong or weak to suit; 
then put in the straw goods, and boil them. 

Size for Colored Straw Bonnets. — Break up 1 lb. best glue, put into a vessel 
with 4 quarts cold water, and let soak for not less than 12 hours. Then pour it, 
water and all, into a sauce-pan, and put it over the fire to dissolve; keep it well 
stirred, and be careful not to let it boil. When it is all Well melted strain it into 
an earthenware pan, and use it while scalding hot. The bonnets as they are 
taken out of this size must be sponged as dry as possible, the shape regulated, 
and then hung up to dry. This quantity is sufficient for 12 bonnets. 

Parchment Size for Straw Bonnets, Silks, Etc.— Well wash 1 lb. of parchment 
shavings or cuttings, in 2 or more lots of cold water; then put them into a sauce- 
pan, or other vessel, with 4 quarts of cold water, and let them simmer gently un- 
til the quantity is reduced to 2 quarts. Strain through a fine sieve and it is 
ready for use. One teacup of this is sufficient to stiffen 1 bonnet, or to mix with 
1 quart of water for finishiDg silks. 

To Bleach Chip and Straw Goods. — First clean, by washing in warm soap 
liquor; brush them well, both inside and out, then rinse them well in cold water, 
and they are ready for bleaching. To Bleach.— (1) Put a small quantity of ox- 
alic acid into a clean pan, and pour on it sufficient scalding water to cover the 
bonnet or hat. Put the article into this liquor, and let it remain in it for about 
5 minutes; keep it covered by holding it down with a clean stick. Dry in the 
sun or before a clear fire. (2) Having first dried the bonnet or hat put it, together 
with a saucer of burning sulphur, into a box with a tight closing lid. Cover it 
over to keep in the fumes, and let it remain a few hours. The disadvantage of 
bleaching with sulphur is that articles so bleached soon become yellow; when 
bleached by oxalic acid they do not. To Finish or Stiffen. — After cleaning an I 
bleaching, white bonnets should be stiffened with parchment size. Black or col- 
ored bonnets are stiffened with a size made from the best glue. 

Straw or chip plaits, or Leghorn hats and bonnets may also be cleaned 
and bleached, and finished as above. 

Black Varnish for Chip and Straw Goods. — A good black varnish is easily 
prepared for chip and straw goods which gives them a fine gloss. Crush 2 oz. 
good black sealing-wax, and put it in a bottle; add 8 oz. 95° alcohol. Cork and 
set in a warm place, shaking it from time to time until the sealing-wax is cut. 
When it is applied have both the article and varnish warm. 

Felt Hats. — Wash them with a hot solution of soda, or sesquicarbonate of 
ammonia. Then, if white, cover the hat with a paste made of pipeclay and water, 
tempered with white precipitated chalk. When dry, rub and brush off. See 
also the cleaning compound No. 3, given elsewhere, for a good article to use. 
Grease and paint stains can be removed with turpentine; if the turpentine leaves 
a mark, rub with alcohol or benzine. 

To Make Felt Hats Waterproof.— Remove the lining, and paint the inside of 
the hat with Canada balsam, made hot. Hats made waterproof and not venti- 
lated Will bring on premature baldness, so punch a few small holes in the side. 

Men's White Straiv Hats. — These may be readily cleaned by (1) using a nail 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. AM 

brush and brushing them over quickly with soap and water; then press them 
into shape and they will be stiff when dry. (2) Sponge them with a solution of 1 
part citric acid to 20 parts water (some people rub them with a lemon cut in two); 
then rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry in the sun, and they will be beau- 
tifully bleached. Stiffen, if needed, with gum water. 

Black straw hats in being cleaned should be dusted and brushed; they may 
then be rubbed all over with a mixture of good black ink and liquid glue. 

To Renovate Hat Bands. — Take 8 oz alcohol and dissolve in it 2 oz. aqua 
ammonia, 2 oz. sulphuric ether, and 3 oz. white castile soap; rub this on briskly 
with a tooth brush or cloth, and then rinse off with soft water, and dry. 

A Wet Silk Hat. — Shake off the surplus water, and, with an old soft silk 
handkerchief, rub it gently the way of the nap; then hang it up in a warm room, 
away from the fire, to dry. When dry, brush it with a soft brush, and with a 
moderately hot flat-iron smooth it around the way of the nap. 

Bulges or indentations in a silk hat may be removed by warming it (by steam 
is preferable) and pressing them out with a hot iron; attempts to restore the 
shape by other means will probably result in cracking the hat. 

Label children's hats plainly with the name and place of residence of the 
wearer; then if the child is lost it can be readily returned to its home. 

Umbrellas. — Wet umbrellas should be placed handle downward to dry. In 
that way they dry uniformly. If stood handle upwards the water will gather at 
the lowest point and the lining will hold the moisture and cause the silk to 
rot. Do not leave them open to dry; the tense condition stiffens the silk and it 
cracks sooner. If tightly rolled and put in umbrella cases, the friction of the 
case wears many tiny holes. Many an umbrella is ruined by being wedged into a 
crowded umbrella stand. Keep your umbrella in your own room, out of the case, 
and stood handle down; thus you will get the most possible wear out of it. To 
clean ivory and metal handles see our articles on "Ivory ' and "Metals." 

Parasols. — To renovate them, sponge with warm soap and water, and iron 
them, while damp, on the inside, with a smoothing iron. If the silk is very dirty 
it will be better to sponge it with gin, or spirits of wine; in this case, iron on the 
right side, first spreading on thin paper to prevent glazing. 

Fur. — To Clean. — (1) Soap and water will spoil fur. Get some clean common 
whiting (powdered, and plenty of it) and put it in a damp place for a day or so, 
but on no account let it get wet; rub it into the fur with the hand, and don't be 
afraid to rub it; the-n leave it till next day, and give it another good rubbing; 
then shake out all the whiting you can, and give it a good brushing with a 
clothes brush. It will now be quite clean, except the skin at the bottom of the 
fur. To remove the dirt from thence, get the fur over the back of a chair, and 
brush very briskly with the point of the clothes brush, giving a puff of wind with 
every stroke of the brush. With a little patience every trace of whiting, grease 
and dirt can be removed. Lastly, pour a little spirits of wine on a plate, dip the 
point of the clothes brush in this, and pass it lightly over the fur, moving 
the brush the way the fur lies. (2) Take equal parts of flour and pow- 
dered salt (which should be well heated in an oven) and thoroughly rub the 
fur. It should afterwards be well shaken, to free it from the flour and salt. 
(3) Lay the fur on a table, and rub it well with bran, made moist with warm 
water. Rub until quite dry, and afterwards with dry bran. The moist bran 
should be put on with flannel, and the dry with a piece of book muslin. (4) 
Rub light-colored furs in addition, with magnesia after the bran process. Dry 
flour may be used instead of the wet bran. Rub the wrong way of the fur to 
clean; then smooth the right way. 

Ermine may be renewed and cleaned by rubbing it from time to time as it 
becomes soiled, with cornmeal. It is also cleaned sometimes by rubbing in dry 
powdered starch. 

Sealskins. — If a sealskin has been unfortunately wet, do not attempt to rub 
off the moisture with the hand nor with soft cloths or anything else, and do not 
put it in a warm room to dry — that will flatten it. Merely spread it out in a 
cold room until it is dry, before attempting anything else. Beat the fur thor- 
oughly, and be sure it is perfectly clean before it is put away for the summer. 
Camphor should not be placed near sealskin, as it causes grey streaks to appear 
in it. 



498 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

In putting any furs away for the summer they should be perfectly clean- 
that is of the first importance. Brush them, shake them, beat the firmer sorts 
with a cane, air them, and wrap them first in linen bags, and afterwards in 
brown paper bags, pasting up all openings carefully. Newspaper is not strong 
enough for the outside wrapper, but may be used inside. Put with them 
either a little camphor, cedarwood or cloves, or best of all, dust them over freely 
with good fresh insect powder. (Never put camphor near sealskin.) Chinchilla 
is too perishable to be shaken. Furs may be put in paper boxes, but the cracks 
should be tightly pasted over with paper. Any article of fur previously attacked 
by moths, should be carefully examined in July, to see that none are present, 
notwithstanding the other precautions. 

To Restore Crushed Fur. — Furs, after having been put away for the summer, 
sometimes look rough and crushed. To correct this, take a hair brush, wet it, 
and brush the fur the wrong way; then dry for about 30 minutes, after which 
beat it well with a light cane, on the right side; then use a coarse comb and 
carefully comb down the fur the right way. 

To Dye Fur. — For blue, take 1 part blue vitriol, 7 parts logwood, 22 parts 
water; mix and boil. For brown, use logwood (the tincture only). For purple, 
use 6 parts alum, 11 parts logwood, 29 parts water. For red, the ingredients are, 
1 oz. cochineal, 1 lb. ground Brazilwood, and 3 quarts water; the mode is to first 
put the Brazilwood in the water and boil an hour; after which strain, and put 
in the cochineal, and boil again % hour. 

To Clean the Fur on Stuffed Animals. — First, give the animal a good brush- 
ing with a stiff clothes brush. After this, warm a quantity of new bran in a 
pan, taking care it does not burn, to prevent which keep stirring it. When 
warm, rub it well into the fur with your hand. Repeat this a few times, then 
rid the fur of the bran, and brush it sharply until free from dust. 



TO REMOVE SPOTS AND STAINS- 

One of the common perplexities of the housekeeper is to remove spots and 
stains from different articles. The great difficulty often is to remove the stain 
without injuring the delicate tints of the fabric. Stains may be divided into 3 
classes. (1) Simple stains, produced by 1 substance, and which may be removed 
by 1 agent. (2) Mixed stains, produced by 2 or more substances conjointly, and 
requiring the application of several cleaning agents. (3) Stains produced by 
substances which alter or destroy the color. Following we give a synopsis 
of the best plans in use for removing stains; arranged for convenient reference. 

In rubbing fabrics to remove stains be careful to always rub the way of the 
stuff, and not indifferently backwards and forwards. 

If colors have been changed by vegetable or dilute mineral acids, they can 
usually be restored with dilute ammonia. If that is not sufficient the spot must 
be wet with a mordant and the requisite dye painted in, in which case the spot 
must be continuously rubbed with a pledgit of wool, so as to spread it equally 
and leave no sharp line of demarkation. 

See what we say about applying benzine, etc.under "Grease" (4th method). 

Before attempting to remove a stain from colored goods, experiment on some 
unseen part and see if the article you expect to use affects its color. 

Injured Colors. — Colors (except some shades of red) which have been destroyed 
by acids, can usually be restored by first applying ammonia to neutralize the 
acid, and then apply chloroform which will restore the color. Colors injured by 
alkalies, should be treated first with dilute acid to neutralize the alkali, and then 
with chloroform. 

Any color damaged by ammonia, used to neutralize acids, can be restored by 
applying chloroform. 

Articles dyed with aniline colors, when faded by exposure to light, may be 
restored by sponging them over with chloroform. Commercial chloroform which 
is cheaper than the purified, can be used. 

We explain below the properties of some of the more common and useful 
cleaning agents. 

Alcohol.— This is always obtained from the fermentation of sugar, starch, or other 



ALL ABOtTT THE HOtf&fi. 49$ 

Saccharine matter. It readily dissolves fats (although less readily than benzine or ether) 
resins, iodine, salts, alkaloids, etc., making it a useful cleaning agent. 

Ammonia.— This is a transparent, pungent gas, formed of nitrogen and hydrogen. 
Water will take up 750 times its bulk of this gas, forming aqua ammonia or hartshorn. It 
has so many domestic uses that a bottle should be kept in every family. It is especially 
valuable for removing grease spots from clothing, etc. It is one of the best antidotes for 
mineral poisons. When the stronger kinds are used for cleaning, etc., care should be taken 
not to breathe it too freely, lest it injure the delicate lining of the nose and lungs. It is an 
alkali, and will neutralize acid stains. Before applying it to any colored article, try it 
first on some unseen part to see if it affects the color. 

Benzine.— This is also called benzole and phene. It is known in chemistry as hydride of 
phenyl. It is a hydrocarbon, obtained from coal-oil. It is sold under the name of "benzine 
collets" for 3 or 4 times its real value. It has many domestic uses, being an excellent solvent 
for India rubber, wax, camphor, fats and oils. It is extremely volatile, and should on no 
account be used by lamplight, or near a fire. Keep it tightly corked at all times. As a clean- 
ing agent for grease spots, etc., it hardly has an equal ; but it does not remove sweat stains, 
nor stains from alkali, acids, sugar, milk, etc. It does not injure the most delicate fabric. 

Chloride of Lime.— This is extensively used for bleaching textile fabrics, and for 
removing fruit and red wine stains. Its action on the fabric may be checked by immersing 
it in aqua ammonia or in a solution of hyposulphite of sodium. 

Chloroform.— This is a colorless liquid which evaporates ^readily, but it is not inflam- 
mable like ether and benzine. It readily dissolves fats, fatty oils, resin, wax, India rubber, 
etc., making it a valuable cleaning agent, but great care should be taken not to inhale its 
fumes on account of their well-known stupifying effect. 

Citric Acid.— This will remove blue or crimson spots on scarlet, and it revives certain 
colors, like yellows and greens; it also neutralizes alkalies. Acetic or tartaric acids are 
cheaper, and can always be used in its place for all cleaning purposes, which our readers 
will do well to remember. 

Ether.— This is prepared from a mixture of alcohol and sulphuric acid or vitriol. It is 
colorless and very yolatile, and its vapor mixed with a large amount of air is uery explosive 
so tha.t it should never be used near a light or flame. It readily dissolves fats, resins, wax, 
balsams and bitumen, making it a useful cleaning agent. Great pains should be taken not 
to inhale its fumes. 

Glycerine. — This is a colorless, viscid fluid, of a sweetish taste. It is soluble in water 
or alcohol, but not in ether, benzine or chloroform. It is a solvent for alkalies, alkaloids, 
dye-stuffs, etc. 

Hydrochloric Acid.— This is also called muriatic acid and spirit of salt. It is composed 
simply of chlorine and hydrogen. It is a powerful acid, but is one of the most useful acids 
known, enormous quantities being used in the arts. It should be kept in a bottle with a 
ground glass stopper, plainly labeled, kept from children, and used with care, but it has 
many domestic uses, such as removing stains from furniture, glass and other ware, cloth- 
ing, etc. It is alluded to many times in our pages. 

Oxalic Acid.— This is one of the vegetable acids. It much resembles Epsom salts, and 
is sometimes mistaken for it. It is an active poison, and should be kept in a glass bottle, 
clearly labeled and carefully guarded. It is used to remove spots of ink and iron, the 
stains of urine, fruit, astringent juices, etc. It is best used on light goods, as it attacks 
light and fugitive colors. It should be diluted in cold or lukewarm water, as it attacks the 
texture of the cloth if undiluted. 

Ox-gall.— It is best to purify this before using it. Mix it with an equal amount (by 
weight) of alcohol ; let stand a few days, shaking it occasionally, then fil ter, and evaporate 
. it down to the consistency of syrup. It readily dissolves fats, and cleans woolens better 
than soap. It should be used cautiously, as it gives light and delicate colors a green or 
greenish yellow tint if used too strong. For cleaning silk, etc., it is often mixed with yolk 
of egg, fuller's earth, honey, turpentine, alcohol, etc. 

Salts of Sorrel (often improperly called salts of lemo?i).— This is really binoxalate of 
potassium, and is formed by combining oxalic acid and potassium carbonate. It is used to 
remove ink stains. 

Spirits of wine is the same as alcohol, but it contains more water. 

Turpentine.— This is distilled from the sap or juice of the pine or fir tree . It readily dis- 
solves fats and resins, but is not equal to benzine for general cleaning. The idea that it in- 
creases the luster and softness of silk fabrics is a mistake. 

Yolk of Egg.— This if kept too long loses its value as a cleaning agent. Its cleansing 
properties are similar to those of ox-gall. Sometimes it is mixed with the oil of turpentine 
for use. 

Acid Stains. — Most acids produce red stains on blacks, blues and violets, 
made from vegetable colors (except indigo). The best treatment for all acids is 
to at once apply some strong alkali, like ammonia, soda, or potash — (ammonia is 
best). Afterwards wash with water. Red stains can thus be removed. If the 
acid was very strong, the fabric will probably be destroyed, as well as stained. 
Then there is no remedy. The brown stains of nitric acid are nearly hopeless. 
Repeated moistening with a very strong solution of potash permanganate (or as 
a weak substitute use Condey's fluid), followed by rinsing with water, is the best 
things A color injured by an acid, which is not restored by the ammonia (or 
other alkali) used, can frequently be restored by using chloroform afterwards. 

Alkaline Stains.— (1) For white goods wash merely. For colored woolens, cot- 
tons, silk or satin, moisten the stain first, and then cautiously apply dilute acetic 
acid with the finger-end; when the stain disappears wash well in clean water. 



S06 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE\ 

(2) If delicate colors are injured by soapy or alkaline matters, renew the dye by 
applying colorless vinegar of moderate strength. 

Albumen. — Merely wash the article in clear water to remove it. 

Alizarine Ink. — On linen, use a solution of tartaric acid; the older the stain 
the stronger the solution must be. On cotton, woolen, or silk, use dilute tartaric 
acid, if the colors will bear it, but use great care on silk. 

Aniline Stains. — For aniline inks or other aniline stains (1) wash with al- 
cohol containing some acetic acid; if, however, the colors of the fabric will not 
stand acetic acid, use alcohol alone. (2) Try a solution of sodium sulphite. (3) 
Same as "Alizarine Ink" (which see). 

Beer. — Wash in soapy, and then in clear, water. 

Blood. — (1) Merely wash with clean water. (2) Make a thick paste of cold 
water and starch and apply it to any article you do not wish to wash, and place in 
the sun for 2 hours; brush off, and if any trace remains, repeat. 

Coffee and Chocolate. — (1) Apply a mixture of glycerine and yolk of egg; then 
wash out with warm water, and while still damp iron on the reverse side with a 
moderately hot iron. (2) Wash them in very hot water, soap carefully, and then 
expose to sulphur fumes. (3) On woolen goods, mix 1 oz. glycerine, 9 oz. water, 
% oz. aqua ammonia; apply repeatedly, press between a cloth, and rub with a 
clean rag. Steam a little if needed, and the stain will be gone. (4) Delicate 
colored silks are more difficult. Mix 5 parts of glycerine, 5 parts of water, and % 
part of ammonia. Apply it, to test it, on some unnoticeable place; if, after dry- 
ing, it affects the color, leave out the ammonia; if not apply to the stain with a 
brush, leave on over night, and then rub with a clean cloth; then remove the dry 
substance with a knife, brush over with clean water, and press between cloths, 
and dry. Now, if needed, rub with dry bread. Restore the finish with a thin 
solution of gum arabic. 

Dust. — Beating and brushing merely, will remove these stains from white and 
colored cotton goods. For old dry stains on colored silk and woolen goods, ap- 
ply alcohol mixed with yolk of egg, let dry, and scrape off; wipe away remain- 
ing traces of the egg with a linen rag dipped in warm water. 

Fruit. — (1) Most spots may be removed without leaving a stain by rinsing in 
cold water containing a little ammonia, before the spot has dried. (2) For col- 
ored cottons or woolens, wash with tepid soapsuds or ammonia. Silks the same, 
with gentle rubbing. For linen (table cloths, etc.) or white cotton, use warm 
chlorine water, or submit to the fumes of burning sulphur (strike a match and 
hold it so that its sulphurous vapors will be diffused over the stain — using 2 or 
more if necessary). After washing, the stain will vanish. (3) Spread the 
stained fabric on the ground in the open air; smear the spot with soap, and 
Bprinkle on common salt; wet, and as it dries, re-wet. Wash after 2 or 3 hours 
exposure, and the stain will usually be gone. (4) Rub the spot on each side 
with hard soap; then lay on a thick mixture of starch and cold water, and rub it 
well into the spot; afterwards expose to the sun and air; after 3 or 4 days repeat 
if necessary. (5) Apply salts of sorrel, or a solution of soda hypochlorite; wash 
it out carefully when the object is attained, the latter particularly. (6) Wash 
fresh stains in kerosene as you would in water. 

For sour and acid fruits, see vinegar. 

Grass. — (1) Rub on molasses thoroughly; then wash with clean water. Re- 
peat if necessary. (2) For white goods wash in boiling water. For colored 
goods, whether cotton, woolen, silk, or satin, damp with a solution of tin chlo- 
ride; then wash out at once with an abundance of clear water. (3) For light 
dresses wet the stained part with alcohol; rub well, and the green will be 
removed. 

Gravy. — For these stains on delicate silks, first use soap and water to take 
out the salts and vegetable matter; then turpentine or benzine to take out the 
grease and oil. After taking out a stain the gloss may be restored to silk by 
sponging it with gum water, made by either gum arabic or gum tragacanth; 
stretch out the cloth smoothly to dry. 

Grease. — (1) For linen, use soapsuds or alkaline lyes. For cotton, use luke- 
warm soapsuds. For woolen use soapsuds or ammonia. For silks, use benzine, 
ether, ammonia, chalk, magnesia, or yolk of egg with water. (2) For very delicate 
fabrics, ether or chloroform will take out grease, but the more lightly and briskly 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 501 

they are applied the less danger of injury to the goods; as both quickly evaporate 
it is needless to use water afterwards. (3) In applying chalk, magnesia, etc., to a 
delicate silk do not wet them; apply them dry to trie spot, rub them lightly with 
the ringer, and after a time brush off. On other goods they can be applied as a 
wet paste, and rubbed off when dry. (4) In using turpentine, benzine, etc., people 
generally make the mistake of wetting the cloth with the benzine, etc., and then 
rubbing it with a sponge or cloth. This dissolves the grease, but spreads it over 
a greater space without removing it. The best way is to place a piece of blotting 
paper underneath, then saturate the cloth with the benzine or whatever is used, 
then lay another piece of blotting paper on top and press it. The grease will be 
dissolved, absorbed by the paper, and entirely removed. A very old or thickly 
crusted spot, may often advantageously be softened by a warm flat-iron, shielded 
by a thick paper, before applying the turpentine or other solvent. (5) Spread 
down blotting paper or chalk, lay on the goods, cover with the same, and apply a 
hot iron— not hot enough to scorch, however. 

For wagon grease: On linen use soap or turpentine, alternating with a stream 
of water. On cotton or woolens, rub with lard or butter, then soap well; wait a 
little and wash alternately with turpentine and water. On silk, same as for cot- 
ton, but use benzine instead of turpentine, and let the water fall on it from some 
height. 

Machine grease or oil: This generally contains, besides the grease, oxide of 
iron worn off the machinery, etc.; therefore, first remove the grease with benzine, 
turpentine, or ammonia; then treat the spot with oxalic acid, chloride of lime, 
or, on delicate materials, with lemon juice, to take out the iron. After using 
these agents always rinse the fabric well with water. 

Gelatine and Glue. — (1) Merely wash in clean water. (2) For glue, moisten in 
steam, immerse in hot water, and rub. 

Green Nut Shells or Tannin. — On linen, use warm chlorine water, javelle 
water, or concentrated solution of tartaric acid. On cotton, woolen, or silk, 
wash several times alternately with water and chlorine water, diluted more or 
less according to the colors. Use care on silk. 

Gum. — Cut it with alcohol or benzine; or treat it like wax (which see). 

Ink. — For black or nut-gall ink: (1) Put at once into milk; while there, rub 
gently for a few minutes. If allowed to dry, ink is more difficult to remove, 
but can be with a little effort, but use hot milk. (2) Soak the spot with ripe 
tomato, rub a little, and then wash. The stain does not entirely disappear until 
after the washing. (3) Pour on kerosene oil and rub with the hand; repeat the 
operation if necessary. (4) Apply pUre melted tallow and leave 1 or 2 days; then 
wash out the tallow and the ink will come with it. (5) On cotton, woolen, or 
silk, saturate with turpentine, leave on several hours, and rub between the hands; 
the ink will crumble away. On linen, use tartaric acid. (6) Stretch the article 
over a warm flat-iron, and squeeze on a few drops of lemon juice. (7) Moisten 
it with strong salt water, and then sponge with lemon juice. (8) Treat old ink- 
stains first with proto-chloride of tin, to deoxidize the iron, and then with dilute 
oxalic acid. On white goods, touch the part stained with a dilute solution of 
chloride of lime; then wash thoroughly. (9) On white goods, use warm oxalic 
acid or dilute muriatic acid with little pieces of tin. On fast-dyed woolens 
and cottons apply citric acid carefully and repeatedly. On silks, efforts are well 
nigh useless. (10) Delicate colors will be injured by oxalic acid or similar arti- 
cles. For these, carefully apply a weak solution of pyrophosphate of soda, using 
a small brush; repeat several times, and the ink will be removed without injur- 
ing the article. Then rinse out with clear water. 

Remove any ink spot before washing the article, or the soap will "set" the 
stain and make it very difficult of removal. 

Aniline inks: Treat the same as "Aniline Stains" (which see). 

Indelible or Marking Inks: (1) Mix 1 part cyanide of potassium in 4 parts 
water; soak the spot in this a few hours and it will fade out. (Highly poisonous, 
so handle carefully.) (2) Steep about % hour in chlorine water; then wash with 
ammonia; then with clear water. (3) First soak in strong salt water; then wash 
with ammonia. (4) With a small brush (camel's hair) apply a saturated solution 
of cyanuret of potassium; then wash in clean cold water. (5) To a solution of 
strong cyanide of potassium add a few grains of iodine. Repeated applications 
will remove any stain caused by nitrate of silver. 



502 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Prinker's Ink: Put the stained parts of the fabric into a quantity of benzine; 
then use a fine, rather stiff brush, with fresh benzine; dry, and wash clean with 
warm water and curd soap. The benzine will not injure the fabric or dye. 

Red Ink: (1) Same as number 2 given for "Fruit" (which see). (2) Moisten the 
spot with strong alcohol acidulated with nitric acid. 

Iron-Mold and Rust. — (1) Wet the spot with lemon juice, sprinkle on salt, 
and hold over the spout of a boiling tea-kettle, or expose to the sun. (2) On 
linen dip the spot in sour buttermilk and dry in the sun; repeat 
several times if necessary. (3) Wet the spot, place the iinen over a pan of hot 
water, and put a little salts of lemon on the spot as soon as the stain disappears, 
wash it in clean water. (4) "Wet the spot and lay on powdered oxalic acid 
or cream of tartar; rub in well, and then wash off with clean water. The cream 
of tartar is effective only on stains of recent date. (5) Same as number 9 given for 
"Ink Stains" (which see). (6) On silk or satin goods moisten with strong vinegar, 
leave covered for some time with beechwood ashes, and finally wash in strong 
soapy water. (7) Wash the soiled spot in kerosene as you would in water; apply 
before using soap, or it is useless. 

Lime and Lye. — Same as "Alkalies" (which see). 

Lubricating Oils. — See "Machine Grease." 

Mildew. — (1) Soak the spots in sour milk or buttermilk, and then expose to 
the hot sun; then rinse in clear water. (2) Moisten both sides with lemon juice, 
cover with a paste of soft soap and chalk, and sun for % hour; repeat till gone. 
(3) Dilute hartshorn will take mildew from woolen goods. (4) On cotton or linen 
first wet with soapsuds; then mix equal quantities of soft soap and chalk, and 
apply it; then spread it out on a tin dish, and expose all day to the hot sun; 
repeat if necessary. (5) Dip the spot into a weak solution of chloride of lime, and 
expose to the sun a few minutes; repeat till it disappears, and then rinse thor- 
oughly in clean water. On almost any fabric chloride of lime will remove mil- 
dew, but as this turns most colors it must be used with care. (6) Mix soft soap 
with powdered starch, add half as much salt, and the juice of a lemon; apply it 
to both sides of the cloth and expose to the hot sun. 

Mercurial Ointment. — This produces very persistent stains. To extract 
them, wash the spot with a hot solution of soda (1 part soda to 50 of water), and 
when the grease is removed rub over with a rather strong solution of clear 
chloride of lime. If the article is colored or delicate, benzine must be used 
instead of the soda solution. Apply to both sides of the material. 

Milk. — For white goods, wash thoroughly in soapy or lye water. For colored 
cottons or woolens, use benzine or turpentine; wash afterwards in soapy water 
if needed. For silks or satins, use the purest benzine. See number 4 for 
"Grease." 

Molasses. — Same as "Sugar" (which see). 

Mud. — (1) In many cases the best treatment is to let the mud dry without 
brushing; when fully dry brush off. (2) For mud stains, first remove the vege- 
table matter with soap and water; then use cream of tartar to remove the iron 
often present in mud; then wash with clean water. (3) Oxalic acid is often used 
to remove traces of mud which do not yield to other agents. 

Rust. — Same as "Vinegar" (which see). 

Nitrate of Silver. — (1) Apply chloride of copper; then touch with a crystal of 
hyposulphite of soda; then wash with water. This can be applied to colored 
woven cotton tissue. For white cottons and linens, use dilute solutions of per- 
manganate of potash and hydrochloric acid, followed by the hyposulphite of soda 
and clear water. (2) Moisten the spot with a solution of bichloride of mercury. 
(3) Moisten repeatedly with a weak solution of cyanide of potassium, and rinse 
thoroughly in clear water. 

Oil. — Same as "Grease" (which see). 

Paint. — (1) For new stains, saturate as often as necessary with equal parts of 
turpentine and ammonia; when quite softened, wash out with soap and water. 
(2) For old, dry stains, apply olive oil or butter; when softened use chloroform; 
or, instead of the chloroform, use turpentine first, and then benzine. (3) Patient, 
continuous rubbing with chloroform, will remove paint from black silk or other 
material. (4) For silks or satins, spread on a thin paste of ether and carbonate 
of magnesia; after the ether evaporates, brush away the magnesia, or rub with 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 503 

crumbs of bread. (5) Use turpentine to remove the oil, and oxygenated water 
to oxydize the lead, and finish with dilute acetic acid; if the paint contains oxide 
of iron, oxalic acid can be used, while copper colors must be treated with 
ammonia. 

Peach Stains.- These may be removed from a table cloth by holding it over a 
basin and pouring hot water through. See also "Fruit." 

Perspiration.— {1) Apply first weak ammonia; then bichloride of tin. If the 
color is not altogether destroyed this will restore it. If the color is permanently 
affected the only remedy is to apply the appropriate mordant, and then paint on 
the requisite color. (2) Apply a solution of hyposulphite of soda, and then 
bleach if the goods are white. 
Pitch.— See "Tar." 
Punch Stains. — Wash in soapy, and then in clean water. 

Scorches. — Apply soapsuds and let them lie in the sun. If that fails, put 1 
lb. white soap in 1 gallon milk, and boil the articles in it. See also "The 
Laundry." 

Sauce. — Apply benzine or turpentine to remove the grease or oil; then am- 
monia to neutralize the juice or vinegar in the gravy; finally clean water to take 
out the blood, etc. 

Sealing Wax. — (1) Warm and apply strong methylated spirits. (2) Use strong 
alcohol. 

Soup. — Same as "Milk" (which see). 

Stearine or Spermaceti. — Use strong 95° alcohol to cut it, on any kind of 
goods. 

Sugar. — Wash in clean warm water. 

Tannin or Tanning Juices. — See " Green Nut Shells." 

Tar and Pitch.— (1) Rub well with clean lard; then wash with warm water 
and soap. (2) Apply olive oil; then benzine or turpentine. (3) Use strong alco- 
hol. (4) On silk or satin, rub with clean lard; then soap well, and leave it on 
some time; then wash alternately with benzine, and water falling on the under 
side from some height. Treat carefully. (5) Mix turpentine and yolk of egg and 
apply; when dry, scratch it away, and wash thoroughly in hot water. (6) For 
silk or satin, moisten and then rub with ether or chloroform; then lay on chalk 
or pipeclay; then blotting paper, and pass a hot iron over it. 

Tea Stains. — (1) Place a bowl under the fabric and pour clear boiling water 
through the stain. (2) Apply equal parts of ammonia and alcohol; then wash 
in tepid soapsuds. 

Urine.— (1) Wash out with alcohol or dilute citric or acetic acid. (2) Same as 
number 1 given for " Perspiration" (which see). 

Varnish or Resin. — (1) Warm, and apply strong methylated spirits. (2) Use 
chloroform, but with care. (3) Use turpentine or benzine, and then soapsuds. 
For silk, use benzine or ether, and then soap, but with care. 

Vegetable Dyes. — Same as number 2 given for " Fruits " (which see). 

Vinegar and Acid Fruits. — (1) For white goods, wash in clean water to 
which ammonia has been added; or, if a fruit stain accompanies the acid, wash 
with water, and follow with chlorine water. (2) For colored cotton, woolen, silk 
or satin, moisten carefully with dilute ammonia; then wash in clean water. (3) 
Apply a thin paste made of prepared chalk and water; this will be preferable for 
delicate colors. 

Walnut Stains. — Same as " Green Nut Shells" (which see). 

Water. — If water falls on some kinds of silks, satin, or woolen fabrics, it dis- 
solves away a part of the dressing, causing a dull spot on the glossy ground; 
to remedy this, steam the material till it is all equally moistened; it may than 
be hot-pressed, or if small, ironed with a hot, but perfectly clean iron. 

Wax. — Remove what you can with a knife; place a wet linen beneath, cover 
the stain with several layers of blotting paper; and pass a hot iron over; the heat 
melts the wax, and the paper absorbs it. Remove any remaining trace with 
benzine. 

Whitewash Stains. — Wash at once in vinegar; that will usually restore them. 

Wine. — (1) Dip the stained part into boiling milk; keep the milk boiling un- 
til the stain disappears. (2) For port and claret stains, apply a little salt, and 
then moisten with sherry. (3) Soap the stain j then burn sulphur under the 



504 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

large end of a paper funnel, and direct the small end to the spot on the cloth. (4) 
For sour wine, same as "Vinegar" (which see). (5) On white goods, rinse with 
water, apply a weak solution of chloride of lime, and rinse again freely. Restore 
the dressing by steaming, starching, and pressing. 

Red Wine Stains: Same as number 2 given for "Fruit" (which see). 

Cleaning? Compounds. — No. 1. — Take % oz. oil of sassafras, % oz. chloroform, 
i^ oz. ammonia, Y% oz. alcohol, 1 teaspoon pulverized borax; mix, shake well, 
and add 1 quart of deodorized gasoline; then bottle for use. This is a splendid 
cleaning compound to keep in the house. It will clean ribbons, neckties, ruching, 
carpets, greasy clothing, etc. For paint, soak the spot in kerosene oil, and then 
apply this mixture. 

No. 2. — Scrape 3lj oz. Castile soap, dissolve it in 1 quart warm water, and as 
it cools add ^ oz. glycerine, % oz. sulphuric ether, and 1 oz. alcohol; keep in well 
corked bottles. Excellent for grease spots, etc. 

No. 3. — Take 1 drachm alcohol, % drachm chloroform, % drachm sulphuric 
ether, 1 pint deodorized benzine; mix, and add enough cologne to give a pleasant 
odor. This is excellent for cleaning cloth gloves, felt hats, coat collars and is use- 
ful to keep on hand for removing grease spots, etc. Make double the quantity 
if desired. 

No. 4. — Take fresh calcined magnesia, and mix it into a thick paste with pure 
benzole. Keep in a wide mouthed, tightly corked bottle. Apply to grease spots, 
etc., and, when quite dry, brush off. 

No. 5. — Equal parts of ether, alcohol and strong ammonia form an excellent 
cleaning compound. 

No. 6. — Grate a potato to a pulp, and add water in the proportion of a pint to 
a pound; let stand, and when clear pour off the clear part, and bottle. Apply to 
grease spots, etc., with a linen rag, and follow it with spirits of wine. 

Lightning Eradicator. — Into 3 cups warm water put 2 oz. finely shaved castile 
soap, 2 oz. strong ammonia water, 2 teaspoons powdered saltpetre; mix well, and 
let stand 4 days before using, keeping it in a wide mouthed, well stoppered bottle. 
Rub it well into a grease spot, and rinse then with clean water. Useful also for 
washing delicate colored articles. Diluted with water and sprayed on plants it 
will kill any insects which infest them, and act as a fertilizer as well. It may 
also be added to the water for shampooing the head. 

Scouring Balls. — Dissolve J4 lb. white soap (shaved fine) in spirits of wine; 
add 8% drachms of turpentine and the yolks of 4 eggs; add enough magnesia to 
make it stiff enough to form into balls. Moisten the stain, rub with the ball, let 
dry, and wash with soft water; repeat if needed. 

Black Reviver. — (1) Take 1 quart of water, and add 2 oz. powdered Aleppo 
galls, 2 oz. logwood, and 1 oz. gum arabic; boil till reduced %; then add 1 oz. sul- 
phate of iron. Useful to renovate faded mourning dresses, old black coats, 
trousers, etc. (2) Put a quantity of fig leaves in water, and boil till the liquid is 
reduced %; apply it with a black cloth. Useful to take stains out of black cloth. 



CEMENTS, PASTES, GLUES, ETC. 

Cement for an Aquarium. — Take by measure 10 parts of litharge, 10 parts of 
plaster of paris, 10 parts dry white sand, and 1 part finely powdered resin. Mix 
them with boiled linseed oil into a pretty stiff putty when wanted for use. This 
will stick to wood, stone, metal or glass, and harden under water. Do not use 
the tank for 3 days after cementing it. 

General Utility Cement. — A splendid cement is made by mixing together 
litharge and glycerine to the consistency of syrup. It will resist acids, water, 
heat and cold. Let the cement fully harden before using the article. It is a 
general utility cement, and will hold lamp tops, stone jars, stop cracks in iron 
kettles, etc. 

Cement to Attach Glass and Metal. — Mix together 1 oz. spirits of turpentine, 
2 oz. linseed oil varnish, and 4 oz. of thick glue; then put them in a close vessel 
and boil. Apply to the glass and metal, fasten them firmly together, and let dry 
for 3 or 4 days. 

An Extra Cement-— One of the strongest cements known is made by mixing 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 505 

powdered flint glass, ground to an impalpable powder, with the white of an egg. 
Colored Glass Cement. — If finely pulverized chalk is stirred into a solution of 
soluble glass until the mixture is fine and plastic, a cement is obtained which 
hardens in 6 or 8 hours and possesses remarkable durability. It may be used for 
about the same purposes as plaster of paris, but is much harder and stronger. 
If some coloring matter is substituted for part of the chalk different colored 
cements result. Thus vermilion will make a splendid red cement; carmine, a 
violet; cobalt blue, a blue; carbonate of copper, a bright green; gray antimony, a 
dark cement; zinc gray, a hard gray cement which, burnished, appears like 
metallic zinc, and can be used to mend zinc vessels. The cement also sticks to 
stone, wood and metals. 

Cement for China, Etc. — Mix plaster of paris into a strong solution of gum 
arabic until it attains the right consistency. Apply with a brush to the fractured 
edges, and let it dry for 3 days. This cement is white and very strong. 

Transparent Cement for China, Glass, or Earthenware.— A. transparent 
cement can be made by dissolving Russian isinglass in gin with a gentle heat, 
and when it is fully melted and well mixed strain through a thin cloth; then bot- 
tle and cork tight. It will easily dissolve with a little heat, and should be warmed 
before using. Apply with a small brush to the edges of the broken ware, and 
then tie them together, letting it dry for several days before using. 

Cement for Porcelain. — (1) Take 1 part of pulverized gum arabic, and 2 parts 
of finely-powdered oyster shells, and mix them together thoroughly. Keep in a 
tightly-corked bottle. For use, rub enough of this up with the white of an egg 
to make a thick paste, apply it to the broken edges, and dry with a gentle heat. 
(2) Another cement for porcelain is simply thick white-lead paint. 

Cement for Stone and Marble Slabs. — Mix hydraulic cement and water-glass 
together to a thick dough; apply to the broken edges and bind together until dry. 
It soon hardens, so that very little should be made at a time. 

Cement for Glass. — Dissolve fine glue in strong acetic acid to form a thin 
paste. 

Cement to Fasten Glass Letters Upon Windows, Etc. — Take lpart India rub- 
ber, 3 parts mastic, and 50 parts chloroform. Let the mixture stand several days 
in a closed vessel, and apply rapidly. 

Cement for Crockery, China, Marble, or Glassivare. — Thoroughly mix lime 
and the white of an egg. Apply quickly to the edges, place them firmly together 
and it soon sets. Mix but little at once as it hardens quickly. This is very 
strong and easily made. 

Cement for Stoneware. — Take a strong solution of cold alum water and mix 
plaster of paris into it. It sets .slowly, but becomes very hard. Useful also for 
many other articles. 

To Cement Wood to Stone. — Take 4 parts pulverized chalk, 4 parts pitch and 
1 part beeswax. Melt and mix; warm before using. Apply thinly to the places 
to be joined. 

To Cement Plaster of Paris. — Cover the broken surfaces with melted shellac, 
press firmly together, and leave till cold and hard. 

Cement for Rubber.— (1) Dissolve strips of India rubber in naphtha, or sul- 
phide of carbon, to a stiff paste. Naphtha should not be used indoors, or near 
a fire. Or (2) dissolve small pieces of gutta-percha in benzine to a thin paste. 
This makes an admirable water-tight cement for bottles by simply corking them 
and dipping the stoppers in it. It dries in a few minutes, and will mend rubber 
overshoes, etc., fasten backs on books, or rips in upholstery, and is generally use- 
ful. Keep in a tightly-corked bottle. 

Cement for Hard Rubber. — Fuse together equal parts of genuine asphaltum 
and gutta-percha. Apply hot to the edges, and press together immediately. 

Cement for Fastening Rubber, Gutta-percha, Leather or Cloth to Metal. — Take 
4 lbs. of the best glue, 4 oz. of saltpetre acid, 4 oz. gum ammoniac. Warm the 
glue over a fire till it is all dissolved, then add the gum ammoniac and thorough- 
ly mix. Now put in the acid and thorougly mix. Have the metal surface warm 
and dry when applied. 

Cement for Rubber, Leather, Cloth or Metals. — Fuse together equal parts of 
gutta-percha and pitch. Use hot. A valuable cement for various uses. 

Cement for Leather or Rubber. — Dissolve 1 oz. gutta-percha in % lb. chloro- 

31 



506 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

form. To apply, clean the parts with benzine, apply the cement to each part 
and let stand 20 or 30 minutes; then warm both by a candle flame, and squeeze 
together until dry. 

Cement for Closing Cracks in Stoves. — Get finely pulverized iron at the drug- 
gist's, and mix with liquid water-glass to a thick paste. Coat the cracks with it 
and the hotter the fire the more completely will the crack be closed. 

A Fireproof Cement. — Mix 2 parts sifted wood ashes, and 1 part air slacked 
lime, with sufficient boiled linseed oil to make a smooth paste. It hardens 
quickly to the solidity of stone, and can be used around fireplaces, stovepipes, 
chimneys, etc. It is waterproof also. 

Waterproof Cement. — Take 4 oz. shellac and 1 oz. borax; boil in a little water 
until dissolved, and concentrate to a paste by heat. 

Cement for Cracks in a Plastered Wall. — Take equal parts of water and 
silicate of potash; then mix in ordinary whiting to the right consistency. It may 
be applied with an old case knife; let it harden about 50 or 60 minutes; then 
smooth it off. 

Cement to Resist Petroleum. — Boil 1 part of caustic soda and 3 parts of resin 
in 5 parts of water; afterwards mix in half its weight of plaster of paris or pre- 
cipitated chalk. The plaster hardens in about 40 minutes. 

Acid Proof Cement. — Take a concentrated solution of silicate of soda, and 
mix to a paste with powdered glass. 

Rice Cement, Paste or Glue.— Mix equal quantities of rice and flour thoroughly 
in water and gently simmer the mixture over a clear fire. It forms a delicate 
and durable cement. 

Japanese Cement. — Take rice flour or powdered rice and mix it intimately 
with cold water; then boil it to form a thin paste. It will be beautifully white, 
dries almost transparent, and is adapted for work requiring a strong and color- 
less cement. Also much less water can be used and in this way a preparation 
can be formed thick enough for modelling figures, ornaments, busts, etc. 

Diamond Cement. — Place a tin dish in a pan containing boiling water, and 
put in it 1 lb. white glue and 1 quart soft water; when this is dissolved stir in 4 
oz. white lead and boil till all is well mixed. Then take off the stove; after it is 
cold stir in J^ pint alcohol. Bottle at once; keep tightly corked. 

Cement for Bone and Ivory. — (1) Boil colorless isinglass in water till it forms 
a thick solution; then make to the consistency of honey by adding washed zinc 
white, and use. (2) Melt together at moderate heat, resin, white wax and oil of 
turpentine, till a thick fluid mass is formed. Color, if desired, with red lead, 
ultramarine blue, etc. 

Cement for Ivory or Mother of Pearl. — Dissolve 1 oz. of isinglass and 2 oz. 
white glue in 30 oz. water; strain and evaporate to 6 oz. Add % drachm of gum 
mastic dissolved in "% oz. of alcohol; add 1 oz. white zinc. For use, warm and 
shake well; also warm the broken edges. 

Cement for Meerschaum. — Use quicklime mixed to a thick cream with the 
white of an egg. 

Cement for Bottle Corks. — Use pitch, hardened by the addition of resin and 
brick dust. 

To Weld Horn. — Pieces of horn may be joined by heating the edges until 
they are quite soft, and pressing them together until they are cold. 

Waterproof Glue.— A. glue which will be impervious to water may be prepared 
by boiling % lb. glue in 1 quart of skimmed milk. 

To Strengthen Glue.—(1) Mix powdered chalk into it. (2) It is said that 
white lead added to glue makes it waterproof, and strengthens it. 

Liquid Glue. — Dissolve 2 oz. good glue in 4 oz. cider vinegar. If too thick, 
add more vinegar; if too thin, more glue. Easily made and good, but use gen- 
uine vinegar. 

Liquid Glue for Labeling on Tin. — Take 1 quart boiling water; 2 oz. pulver- 
ized borax; add 4 oz. gum shellac and boil till dissolved. 

Prepared Glue. — Take a wide-mouthed bottle, and put in 8 oz. best glue and 
% pint of water. Set in a kettle of water and heat until the glue is dissolved; 
then stir in slowly 1% oz. of strong nitric acid. Keep tightly corked and it will 
be ready for use always, and very strong. 

Marine Glue.—{1) Dissolve 20 grains of caoutchouc and 2 fluid ounces of 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 507 

chloroform, and add 4 drachms of powdered mastic; let it macerate for a week. 
Keep cool and cork well. (2) Dissolve by heat 2 oz. of pure India rubber in naph- 
tha; when melted add 4 oz. shellac; melt until mixed; pour while hot on metal 
plates to cool; when required to use, melt and apply with a brush. 

Glue to Resist Fire. — Mix a handful of quicklime in 4 oz. of linseed oil; then 
spread on tin plates in the shade and it will become exceedingly hard, but may 
be easily dissolved over the fire and used as ordinary glue. 

Preserving Mucilage and Paste. — A few drops of oil of cloves, or of alcohol, 
or any essential oil, will preserve a quart of the mucilage of gum arabic or gum 
tragacanth from turning sour. A little dissolved alum will preserve flour paste. 
Adding a little carbolic acid, will prevent mold in paste or mucilage. Anything 
strongly odoriferous, like bergamont, clove oil, etc., mixed in paste preserves it 
indefinitely from the attacks of insects. 

Best Mucilage. — Dissolve gum tragacanth in water; then add a few drops of 
oil of cloves and a pinch of alum. 

Mucilage for Labels, Etc. — Mix 2 oz. of dextrin, 1 drachm of glycerine, 1 oz. 
of alcohol with 6 oz. of water. 

Fastening on Labels. — For attaching labels to tin and other bright metallic 
surfaces, first rub the surface with a mixture of muriatic acid and alcohol; then 
apply the label with a very thin coating of paste and it will adhere almost as well 
as on glass. Labels that are exposed to acid fumes or damp may be attached 
with any good paste, and, when dry, coated, with copal varnish. If neatly done 
the appearance is very good, and the moisture and acids have no action on them. 

A strong mucilage, which keeps well, is formed by mixing equal parts of pow- 
dered gum arabic and gum tragacanth, and dissolving them in dilute acetic 
acid. 

Postage Stamp Mucilage. — Take 2 oz. dextrin, 1 oz. of acetic acid, 5 oz. water; 
dissolve them by the aid of heat, and add 1 oz. spirits of wine. 

A Paste That Will Keep for Months. — (1) Take 4 oz. flour, 34 oz. finely pow- 
dered alum, and mix very smoothly; then add water and boil gently. When 
taken off the fire stir in a drachm of essential oil of cloves. Put in a jar, cover 
over, and it will always be ready for use. (2) Boil gum tragacanth in water until 
thin enough for paste. Add a little cologne to prevent its molding. Excellent 
and strong; will stick to leather or cloth as well as paper. 

Paste That Will Adhere to Whitewash and All Plastered Surfaces. — Soften 
9 lbs. of finely-powdered bole in water; next boil % lb. of glue, adding it to the 
above, with 1 lb. of gypsum. The whole is to be diluted to a thin paste. When 
putting fine paper on old walls it is well to coat them with a foundation paper, 
using this paste. 

Paperhanger's Paste. — (1) To each pound of sifted flour add a teaspoonful of 
crushed alum, and mix with boiling water in the usual way, stirring constantly. 
(2) Use 1 pint of rye flour to 1 gallon of soft water; put it into the water while 
cold, put over the fire, and stir till boiling hot. Have ready 1 oz. of alum and % 
oz. white glue, dissolved in water, and stir them in. Should the paste become 
thick as it cools, stir in boiling soft water till it is very thin. Excellent for 
everything but the most delicate papers. (3) Use clear corn-starch prepared the 
same as for starching clothes. A little carbolic acid added will guard against 
vermin. 

A Hint.— Adding either copperas or cayenne pepper to the paste used for hanging 
paper will preserve it from the attacks of mice. Alum added to the paste, injures crimson 
colors in "flock papers," and should not he used for such. 

Strong Paste for Pasteboard. — Mix 30 parts of starch and 20 parts of cold 
water till it becomes a perfectly smooth paste. Gradually add to this an equal 
amount of very thin hot glue, which must be kept at the boiling point. Add a 
little carbolic acid, and heat the whole mass for a few minutes. 

Scrap-book Paste. — (1) Dissolve a piece of common glue, 2 inches square, in 
water; add as much pulverized alum by weight as there is of glue; then mix % 
teaspoon of flour in water, stir it in, and boil all. When nearly cold stir in 2 tea- 
spoons of oil of lavender. (2) Dissolve 1% teaspoons of powdered alum in enough 
water to make 1 pint of paste; when dissolved, pour it onto flour enough to 
thicken it as stiff as common paste; bring to a boil, stirring all the time; when 
done add a few drops of oil of cloves. Excellent. (3) Take % pint of water, 3 



508 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

drachms gelatine, 1 oz. rice starch; heat, with constant stirring, till the milky 
liquid becomes thick and glassy; add a few drops of oil of cloves. Keep in a 
tight bottle. 

Paste to Mount Photographs. — Mix good starch with cold water enough to 
moisten it, and thin down to the proper consistency with boiling water; add a 
little camphor to keep it good; strain through a fine cloth to prevent any lumps. 

To Stick Paper to Metal. — Dip the metal into a strong and hot solution of 
washing soda, and rub dry with a clean rag. Then apply onion juice to the sur- 
face of the metal and any paper or label will adhere very firmly. 

To Make Sealing Wax. — Red.— Melt 1 lb. shellac and 2 lbs. resin; mix in % 
lb. of Venice turpentine and Ted lead. Same proportion for less quantity. 
Black, the same, but color with lampblack instead of red lead. 

Sealing Wax for Fruit Cans. — Take 8 oz. resin, 2 oz. gum shellac, % oz - 
beeswax; melt all together. Melt and use as wanted. 

Shoemaker's Wax. — Take 4 lbs. resin, 1 lb. pitch, 4 oz. beeswax, 3 oz. best 
sperm oil. Boil and pull. 



INKS, STAMPING PREPARATIONS, ETC. 

Preserving Ink. — Adding a little carbolic acid will prevent mold in ink; so 
will adding a few cloves; besides which the latter will impart an agreeable flavor 
to it. 

Ink Powder. — Take 7 oz. copperas, 7 oz. gum arabic and 1 lb. nut galls; pul- 
verize and mix. This amount of powder will make one gallon of good black ink. 
To prevent its molding, add 2 or 3 powdered cloves to each pound of powder. 

Red Ink. — Half a drachm of powdered lake, and 18 grains of powdered gum 
arabic, dissolved in 3 oz. of ammonia water, makes one of the finest red or car- 
mine inks. 

To Improve the Color of Ink. — To 1 pint of common black ink add 1 drachm 
of impure carbonate of potassa. In a few minutes it will become jet black. Be 
careful the ink does not run over during the effervescence caused by the potassa. 

Carbon Ink. — Use genuine India ink rubbed down with good black ink until 
it will flow easily from the pen. This ink resists chlorine and oxalic acids. 

Drawing Ink. — Dissolve shellac in a hot water solution of borax, and rub up 
in this solution a fine quality of India ink. Dip the pen in alcohol and wipe dry 
after using. Very black, and indelible. 

India Ink. — Take thin gum water, or a thin size of. isinglass and water, and 
work into it enough of the finest lampblack to make a thick paste; scent it, if 
desired, with a few drops of musk, mold it into sticks, and leave it to dry. For 
common purposes it will equal India ink. 

Blue Writing Fluid. — Dissolve basic or soluble Prussian blue in pure water. 
This is the most permanent and beautiful ink known. 

Indelible Ink. — A strong solution of Prussian blue, dissolved in distilled water, 
with good ox-gall, makes an ink which turns black and cannot be erased. 

Indelible Ink for Marking Cloth. — Take 1 oz. of rain water and dissolve in it 
2 drachms gum arabic, 5 scruples nitrate of silver, and 1 scruple of indigo. Noth- 
ing better made. After marking the goods, heat with a hot iron or dry in the 
sun. 

Ink for Marking Packages. — Take lampblack and mix it thoroughly with 
sufficient turpentine to make it flow freely from the brush. Powdered ultra- 
marine instead of lampblack makes a fine blue mixture for the same purpose. 

Invisible Ink. — (1) A solution of chloride, or nitro-muriate of cobalt turns 
green when heated, and disappears again on cooling. (2) Write with sweet 
milk or a solution of 1 teaspoon of white sugar dissolved in 1 cup boiling water. 
On heating it turns brown. 

Cold Ink. — Take equal parts honey and gold leaf; triturate until the gold is 
reduced to the finest state of division possible; agitate with 30 parts water and 
allow it to settle. Decant the water and repeat the washing several times; finally 
dry the gold and mix it with a little weak gum water for use. 

Silver Ink. — Use silver leaf instead of gold leaf and proceed as above. 

Copying Ink. — Add 2 parts of glycerine to 4 parts of common violet ink. 
With good copying paper it will copy without a press. 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 509 

Enduring Ink. — Take 1 gallon rain water, 6 oz. powdered nut-galls, 4 oz. cop- 
peras, 2 oz. gum arabic, 2 oz. brown sugar; powder, mix thoroughly, and shake 
occasionally for 10 days. Will endure for centuries and may be used for records, 
etc. 

Indestructible Ink.— Mix 4 parts oil of turpentine and 1 part genuine Trini- 
dad asphaltum; color with plumbago for black, or vermilion for red. Will resist 
fire, etc. 

To Erase Ink. — To erase black ink use oxalic acid or javelle water. To erase 
ruling inks mix 1 oz. acetic acid and 1 oz. saturated solution of chloride of lime; 
use when fresh. 

Note.— If in erasing ink the blue lines on writing paper are taken out also, they can he 
marked in again with a solution of common bluing such as is used in washing clothes, add- 
ing a little ox-gall to make it flow well. 

To Restore Obliterated Ink.—(1) With a brush apply a solution of potassium 
ferrocyanide; if any of the iron of the original ink is left the writing will appear 
in blue. (2) If the paper has been immersed in sea or salt water, remove the 
salt by washing in warm water, and then soak it in a weak solution of gallic acid, 
say 3 grains to the oz. (3) Wash in clean water, and soak in a solution of photo- 
sulphate of iron (10 grs. to the oz.). 

To Prevent Ink from Souring. — Add to each pint bottle a few drops of clove 
oil or carbolic acid. 

To Preserve Steel Pens. — The acid in inks eats steel. If some pieces of iron 
or steel (like old pens, nails, etc.,) are put in the ink the acid exhausts itself on 
them, and will not thereafter attack the pens used. Pens stuck in lime or pearl- 
ine when not in use, will be kept from rusting. 

Stencil Ink. — Dissolve in a little boiling water 1 part borax and 1 part shellac; 
dilute to the consistency of thin syrup with hot water. To produce a red ink add 
logwood; for a blue ink add Prussian blue. 

Ink for Leather. — Dissolve 1 part gum arabic and 1 part copperas in a little 
boiling water; add a little extract of logwood. Dilute with hot water if it gums. 

Ink for Glass. — Rub up with strong gum arabic equal parts of iron scales 
(hammer scales) and lampblack. Can also be used on earthenware or china. 

Ink for Zinc. — (1) Take 1 dr. sal ammoniac, % dr. lampblack, 1 dr. verdigris, 
and mix with 10 dr. water. This is indelible on zinc. Or, (2) take 1 part gum 
arabic, 1 part dry bichloride of platinum, 10 parts distilled water; mix. This ink 
is black and resists acids or water. 

To Mark Silver With a Black That Will Never Go Off. — Pulverize burnt lead; 
then incorporate it with sulphur and vinegar to the consistency of a paint, and 
write with it on silver plate. When dry, heat it a little before the fire and it is 
complete. 

To Mark On Steel. — (1) Warm it and cover with a thin layer of wax or tallow. 
Then write with a pointed instrument which will penetrate through the wax to 
the steel. Then pour nitric acid over the surface and leave a few minutes, and 
wash off with water. Clean off the wax and the writing will appear engraved on 
the steel. (2) Another method is to dissolve sulphate of copper in water so as to 
make a liquid, like ink, and add a little sulphuric acid; write with this, using a 
quill pen; copper letters will be formed on steel or iron. 

Copying Paper. — -For a black paper make a thick paste by mixing cold lard 
or lampblack; spread the mixture on the paper with a cloth, and then rub with 
flannel until no more color comes off. For a red paper proceed in the same man- 
ner, but use Venetian red instead of the lampblack. For blue,use Prussian blue. 
For green, use chrome green. By using alternate sheets of writing paper and any 
of these sheets, and writing on the top sheet with a solid pen, several copies may 
be produced at once. 

Copying Paper (German Process). — Soak 4 parts of the best glue in a mixture 
of 5 parts of water and 3 parts of liquor of ammonia till the glue is thoroughly 
softened. Warm it till the glue is dissolved, and add 3 parts of granulated sugar 
and 8 parts of glycerine, stirring the whole well and letting it come to the boiling 
point. While the mixture is hot, paint it witii a broad brush on clean white 
blotting paper until the latter is thoroughly soaked and a thin coating remains 
on the surface. Let it dry for 2 or 3 days and it will be ready for use. The writ- 
ing or sketch to be copied is done with aniline ink on writing paper. Before trans- 



510 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

ferring it to the blotting paper, wet the latter with a sponge or brush and clean 
water, and allow it to stand for 2 minutes. Place the written side on the blotting 
paper, and press out air bubbles; after a few moments of gentle pressure, remove 
the written paper. A number of copies can then be taken; when the impressions 
grow faint, damp the surface of the blotting paper again. It works like a hecto- 
graph, and makes a fair substitute for that. 

Powder for Stamping Velvet, Plush and Felt. — (1) Take 1 oz. English resin, 
1 oz. gum demar, loz. gum copal, 1 oz. gum sandarac, 3 oz. dry white lead. Mix. 
After stamping the goods wring a cloth out of gasoline and layover the stamping 
for about half a minute; then remove, and let it dry in. New and excellent. This 
makes a white powder. Blue powder may be made the same way, except leave 
out the white lead; and substitute 1 oz. gilding powder and 3 oz. ultramarine 
blue. (2) Take equal parts of pulverized gum demar and white resin, and add 
enough Persian blue to color to suit. 

To Gild Upon Silk, Satin, Etc. — Mix together 3 parts distilled water and 1 
part nitro-muriate of gold in solution; dip a brush in this fluid, and trace out on 
the silk or satin, the pattern or design; while still wet, expose it to a stream of 
hydrogen gas; then wash in clean water and the gilding will be finished. 

Common Sour is prepared by stirring into clean water sufficient oil of vitriol 
to make it taste sharp. Used in working various textile fabrics. 

A Lubricator. — Mix 1 part of fine black lead, ground perfectly smooth, with 4 
parts of lard. 

A FEW USEFUL ARTICLES. 

The following list is not intended to be complete, but is designed to call at- 
tention to a few very useful articles which may to advantage be kept on hand 
by housekeepers. All miscellaneous articles should be very clearly and plainly 
labeled, so that no mistakes can occur in their use, and most of them should be 
kept locked up in the storeroom, if there is one. See also the articles given under 
"Removing Spots and Stains." 

Alum. — This has some medicinal properties, being good to stop nose bleed, 
check diarrhoea, etc. A hot solution of alum makes a most excellent insect de- 
stroyer, as elsewhere explained. It is useful for some cements, and if mixed 
with starch lessens the inflammability of clothing. It is a powerful astringent, 
and is used in medicine as such. 

Borax. — This is a compound containing boracic acid and soda. It has many 
domestic uses. It will soften hard water, and is very useful in washing clothes, and 
if properly used will greatly reduce the amount of soap required. It does not 
injure the texture of the cloth like sal soda. If added to the water in which the 
hands are washed it keeps them soft and white. It will drive away many insects, 
and will be very useful to keep in the house. It is also used for settling mineral 
dyes. 

Charcoal. — This has so many uses that it should be kept on hand in every 
family. Both the wood and animal charcoals are useful. The best wood charcoal 
is not made from either the hardest or softest woods. It should be pulverized 
while still hot, and kept in closely stoppered, wide-mouthed bottles, as it is nearly 
valueless unless fresh. It is an excellent deodorizer, makes a good tooth-powder, 
is valuable in preserving meats, etc., purifies water, and it has many medicinal vir- 
tues; especially for diseases of the digestive system. Its use is often referred to 
in our pages. 

Disinfectants. — We have elsewhere discussed the merits of the more common 
disinfectants. The great value and importance of their use is now so well under- 
stood that every family storeroom should contain at least one or two of the more 
useful kinds, like carbolic acid and copperas or chloride of lime, and they should 
be freely used when occasion calls for them. Common salt is a great disinfectant. 
Soapsuds with salt added until it is a strong brine should be used for the first 
water when clothing is washed which has been used by a person sick with a con- 
tagious disease. 

Javelle Water. — Dissolve 1 lb. saleratus in 1 pint soft water; then mix 4 oz. 
fresh chloride of lime in 1 pint water, stirring it to remove all lumps. It may 
not all dissolve. Pour the 2 mixtures together, stir and shake thoroughly; set 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 511 

aside and when settled pour off the clear liquid and bottle for use. Use glass or 
earthen vessels in preparing it. Useful for bleaching or washing and removing 
various stains. The part which is left after pouring off the clear liquid can be 
used in cleaning the sink, white floors, wood tables, etc. 

Lime Water. — Take a 2 gallon jar of pure soft water, and put in about 3 lbs. 
of unslacked lime; shake it well, and allow it to settle; pour off and bottle the 
clear liquid. This can be done 2 or 3 times until it ceases to taste of the lime; 
then add more lime. Lime is twice as soluble in cold as in hot water. A little 
of this water added to cream or milk will keep it from "turning." Mixed with 
an equal quantity of milk, or much more, it is an excellent remedy for the bowel 
complaint in children, and irritability of the stomach, and, with a little of this 
added, milk will stay on the stomach when it would not otherwise. A little of it 
will prevent milk from "curdling" which would otherwise do so when heated, 
and it can thus be used for pies, etc. Bottles which have contained milk are 
sweetened by it. In fact it has many uses. Keep it in green glass bottles, and 
well corked, or it will soon lose its virtue. 

Washing Soda. — The carbonate of soda, or "washing-soda," is a strong alkali. 
This has so many uses that it should be bought by the quantity, when it can be 
obtained quite cheaply. Then keep it locked in the storeroom so that it will not 
be misused by the servants. To prepare it for use, put a pan on the stove and 
in it put 1 pint of the dry soda and 3 quarts of boiling water; leave it on the 
stove till fully dissolved, stirring it repeatedly; let it get cold, and then put it 
into preserve jars or wide-mouthed bottles, and label it plainly as "Washing- 
Soda." Some of this used in washing the sink, sink brushes, dish-cloths, etc., will 
keep them delightfully clean and sweet. A hot solution of this, poured down 
the sink pipe from time to time, will prevent the formation of greasy deposits, 
as explained under "Sinks and Drains." For the value of soda in washing, see 
our article on "The Laundry." 

Polishing Materials.— Whiting, rottenstone, flour of emery, tripoli, and lime 
are the 5 articles most valuable for domestic uses, and a small vial of each, plainly 
labeled, should be in every house. They are referred to and their uses more fully 
explained in our article on metal wares. 

Uses of Tea Leaves. — Keep old tea leaves for a few days, then let them soak 
in a tin pail for *% hour; strain through a sieve and use the liquor for all var- 
nished paints; it cleans and makes it look equal to new. Do not use it on unvar- 
nished paints. It will also clean windows, oil cloth, and looking-glasses. The 
tea leaves, squeezed nearly dry, make an excellent thing to scatter on a carpet 
before sweeping it. 

Uses of Newspapers. — These may be put to many more uses than many people 
imagine. They are good to clean glassware, like lamp-chimneys, windows, mir- 
rors, etc., zinc, tinware, stoves and knives. The printing-ink on newspapers acts 
as a defiance to moths; therefore wrapping things in newspapers is a first-rate 
preservative. They are invaluable under the carpet, laid over the regular carpet 
paper. They are also invaluable to keep out the air. Ice completely enveloped 
in newspapers, so that all air is shut out, will keep a very long time. A jug of 
ice-water wrapped round in a newspaper with the ends of the paper twisted to- 
gether to exclude the air will remain all night in any summer room with hardly 
any visible melting of the ice. In freezing ice-cream when ice is scarce, pack the 
freezer % full of ice and salt, and finish with newspapers, and the difference in 
the time of freezing and quality of the cream is not perceptible from the result 
when the freezer is packed full of ice. Cover ice molds with newspapers, and 
they will retain the cold better than a packing of cracked ice and salt, which must 
have crevices to admit the air. 

Oil. — To keep it from becoming rancid, add a few drops of ether. Rancid oil 
may be restored by boiling for about 15 minutes with a little water and calcined 
magnesia; or filter through freshly burnt charcoal. 

To unite oil and water, adding a little salts of tartar (i. e., carbonate of potash) 
is the best and cheapest medium to use. (An alkali will cut the oil into fine 
particles, and then they can be held in water as an emulsion.) 

Anti-Corrosive Oil.— Put any quantity of olive-oil in a wide-necked bottle, and 
insert therein a few coils of very thin sheet lead; cork the bottle, and expose to 
the sun for 3 or 4 weeks; then pour off all that is quite clear. This oil will never 



512 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

corrode nor thicken, and can be used for clocks, sewing machines, and delicate 
machinery. 

INSECT PESTS. 

The many insects which infest a house are a great annoyance to housekeep- 
ers. The following hints on the best ways to get rid of them will be helpful to 
our readers. 

Ants. — (1) Slices of cucumber scattered about will drive away any ants, as 
well as crickets, cockroaches, etc. (2) Wet a sponge with any sweet syrup; when 
the ants flock to the sponge plunge it in boiling water, thus killing them. Then 
sweeten and set it again. (3) For red ants, grease a plate with lard, as they prefer 
that to sugar; put a few sticks around the edge, and when they flock to the plate 
turn it bottom up over the fire, and they will fall in with the melting lard. Then 
set the plate again. (4) Keeping a bag of sulphur in a drawer or cupboard will 
drive them away. (5) Cayenne pepper blown into the cracks and scattered about 
repels them. (6) Apply with a brush to shelves and crevices where they congre- 
gate, very hot alum water, proportioned at 1 lb. alum to 3 pints water. (7) For 
black ants, scatter a few leaves of wormwood about their haunts; or pour benzo- 
lene down their holes. (8) Quassia chips boiled in water, and a very little soft 
soap added, will destroy black ants. (9) Rubbing shelves with carbolic soap is often 
effectual, and this is a good disinfectant also. (10) Sweet fern or cloves scattered 
about repels them. (11) Put a little sweetened water in a dish and stir in a little 
tartar emetic — only a little is needed; set it where they congregate and it will 
finish them. Don't let children get at this. (12) Pennyroyal, either an infusion 
of the plant or the oil, is disagreeable to ants and all insects. (13) Washing 
shelves, and while they are moist rubbing on salt thickly, drives away ants. 

To Exterminate Ants from a Lawn or Garden. — (1) Pour carbolic acid water 
down their nests. (2) Boil 1 lb. of cape aloes in a gallon of water and add 6 oz. of 
powdered camphor. Excavate the ant-hill and pour in a quart of this, covering 
as much space as possible, and then fill the nest again. Where the nests cannot 
be found, dilute this largely with water, and sprinkle it over leaves, etc., through 
the nose of a watering can. (3) Tobacco water is effectual if poured on for a few 
nights till they disappear. (4) Puffing Dalmation insect powder into their holes 
every morning for a few days will usually clear out ants. (5) Another excellent 
exterminator is to take 4 oz. potash and % lb- flour of brimstone. Set them in an 
iron or earthen pan over the fire until dissolved and united; afterwards beat to a 
powder. Infuse some of this in water and wherever sprinkled about the house or 
grounds the ants will die or leave. (6) Another plan is to punch a hole in the ant 
hill with a wooden stick or iron rod; pour a little bisulphide of carbon into this 
hole, and then fill it by pressing the earth around it; the fumes will penetrate the 
hill and exterminate the ants. As this is an explosive substance it must be used 
with care, but if kept away from the fire is comparatively safe. It is a volatile 
liquid, and its fumes are very destructive to animal life. 

Anthrenus Varins. — This is an insect which feeds on almost any dry animal 
substance; whalebone, combs, horn scoops, etc., are often attacked by them. 
They often appear in museums, drug stores, etc. Bisulphide of sulphur will kill 
them in all stages. The odor of camphor will keep non-infested materials from 
their attacks. 

Bedbugs. — Good fresh insect powder, freely used, will kill them. Either kero- 
sene, benzine, gasoline or naphtha will be effectual if thoroughly applied to all 
cracks in bedsteads, etc. The foregoing 5 remedies are probably the best things, 
and are effectual. A strong solution of salt and water will kill them; then fill 
the cracks with salt. The alum solution given among the exterminators is effec- 
tual. So is turpentine, and so is oil of sassafras thinned with a little alcohol — 
use the red instead of white sassafras oil. The above are much better to use than 
Paris green and other strong poisons. The eggs are laid early in March. Apply 
the remedy freely, once in March and repeat in July or August, and they can be 
exterminated. 

Bees. — (1) To destroy the black bees, place on the floor where they assemble 
2 or 3 shallow tin vessels half filled with water, with strips of cardboard running 
from the floor to the edge. They run up the cardboard and perish in a watery 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 513 

grave. (2) Cucumber peel scattered around is about the simplest and best thing 
to use. 

Bites and Stings of Insects. — For the stings of bees and wasps, first extract 
the sting and then apply a paste made of soda and water. It gives almost instant 
relief. For fleas, bugs, gnats and mosquitoes, apply a preparation of 1 oz. of 
glycerine to 50 drops of dilute carbolic acid; or use carbolized vaseline; or use a 
solution of borax and ammonia, or strong alum water and glycerine. The juice 
of an onion, or anything "strong," if applied at once, will serve for any of these 
bites, always extracting the sting, however, of a bee or wasp. A paste of powdered 
ipecacuana in water is excellent for bites of scorpions, etc. 

Nettle Stings. — Examine the skin and remove all prickles, and treat the same 
as for stings of bees or wasps. 

Black Beetles.— (1) Throw a mixture of Persian insect powder and powdered 
wormseed around where they frequent., (2) Use powdered borax, about % lb. to 
each room. Scatter it about freely, and particularly blow it in cracks and crevices 
where they can hide. It makes them emigrate. Those which it kills may be 
swept up afterwards without injury to carpets or furniture. Repeat once a week 
until they disappear. (3) Camphor dissolved in spirits of wine and painted over 
their haunts is often an effectual remedy. (4) Cucumber peel scattered about 
is one of the simplest and best methods of getting rid of them. (5) Onions 
chopped up, mixed with borax, and spread on bread will fix them. The onion 
attracts them and the borax kills them. 

Bristle-Tail or Silver-Fish. — These little silvery insects feed on silken cloth- 
ing, tapestry, and often books. Good fresh insect powder will kill them. So 
will sulphur. 

Cabbage Worms. — Dissolve % lb. of saltpetre in 2 gallons of water, and apply 
with a sprinkler. If one application is not sufficient apply again. 

Caterpillars. — (1) Boil together equal quantities of wormwood, rue and any 
cheap tobacco. Make the liquid strong. Sprinkle it on young leaves and branches 
every morning and evening while the fruit is ripening. (2) Hang pieces of woolen 
rag on every tree and bush. The caterpillars will congregate on them, and are 
then easily destroyed. 

The Carpet Beetle (also called Buffalo Moth). — Gasoline, naphtha, kerosene 
and benzine are all efficacious — probably benzine is the best to use on the whole. 
When they once infest a house it is difficult to get rid of them wholly without 
energetic measures. Take up the carpets, steam them or spray them well with 
benzine, and spray around the baseboards and in the cracks in the floors with 
benzine, or pour it from a can with a small nozzle — a stream the size of a knitting 
needle is enough, as only a little is needed. Then fill the cracks with a moder- 
ately thick mixture of plaster of paris and water before relaying the carpet. 
This will keep others out of the cracks. Pepper is disagreeable to the moths, 
and scattered on the floor before relaying the carpet will tend to keep them from 
laying a new batch of eggs there. Placing strips of tarred roofing paper around 
the borders of the room and using carpet lining furnishes probably the best pro- 
tection. Near the baseboards is the most vulnerable part. Apply the benzine 
there at once if they begin work. The steam generated by pressing a very hot 
iron on wet cloths laid on a carpet also kills both moth and larvas. Benzine will 
kill them on clothing, covered furniture, etc., and also apply it freely in chests 
or drawers in which infested clothing has been stored. 

The insect was introduced into America from Europe in 1872. The moth lays an egg 
which hatches into a larvae, and that does the mischief. Its worst work is done in June, 
July and August. The insect feeds on the pollen of various shrubs, and is particularly 
fond of spirea. When this insect appears it is not best to have that plant near the home, 
as the moth will fly from that to the house and lay its eggs. 

Cockroaches. — (1) Sprinkle borax plentifully in their haunts, not 1 or 2 times, 
but renew every day for 1 or 2 weeks; it banishes them- (2) Lay the parings of 
green cucumbers at night where they congregate; repeat each night and in a 
short time they disappear. (3) Sprinkle hellebore on the floor at night; it finishes 
them. (4) Camphor gum scattered where they frequent banishes them. (5) 
Sprinkle liberally where they rendezvous 37 parts borax, 9 parts starch, and 4 parts 
cocoa, thoroughly mixed. (6) Inject into the cracks, and apply with a brush to the 
woodwork about their hiding places, the strong, hot solution of alum given 
among the exterminators. It is good also for bedbugs and other insects. 



514 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

Crickets. — (1) Scatter cucumber parings about and they will disappear. 
Probably the simplest thing. (2) Trap them in a covered box with a perforated 
lid containing a little salt or oatmeal. (3) Half fill some jam pots with water and 
set at night as a trap for them. 

The "Death Watch." — This is a species of beetle which attacks furniture and 
sometimes food. The noise is made by rapping the wood with its head. Wood- 
work may be protected from their attacks by washing it with a solution of cor- 
rosive sublimate and alcohol, or carbolic acid water. Books, etc., may be fumi- 
gated with the fumes of burning sulphur, or exposed to the odor of carbolic acid. 
Benzine will kill them. 

Earwigs. — Place a length of hollow bean stalk or other hollow tube where the 
insects collect, and each morning empty them into boiling water by blowing 
through it sharply. Their favorite food is dahlias, roses, carnations, etc. For 
protection, place flower pots on the top of stakes. Tie a piece of wood dipped in 
oil around the stake, and also around the flower stalk about a foot from the 
earth. This will prevent their climbing up. 

Fleas. — To drive from the bed, scatter dried camomile flowers about the bed, 
or sprinkle the bed or night dress with a little spirits of camphor, or a few drops 
of oil of lavender. To keep from the person sponge yourself with a solution of 
34 ounce camphor and % ounce tincture of myrrh in 1 quart of water. Shake 
well before using. On animals oil of pennyroyal will certainly drive them away, 
or where the herb abounds use a decoction. Wash or sprinkle them with it. 
Remove and burn old straw, litter, etc. On hogs sprinkle the above on their 
backs and ears while they are feeding. Carbolic acid is also good, and so is 
Persian insect powder, or Ceyenne pepper. 

Flies. — A castor-oil plant or Japanese lily growing in a room will kill many 
and drive away the rest. Laurel oil spread on picture frames, curtains, etc., will 
afford protection. Boil 1 oz. of quassia chips in 1 pint of water for 10 minutes; 
strain and add 4 oz. molasses. This will attract and destroy them. Insect pow- 
der if blown about will clear a room. Wood ashes thrown into drains and on 
heaps of rubbish destroys their eggs. On animals, a strong infusion of smart- 
weed applied with a sponge or brush will keep them off for 24 hours. Or, apply 
soapsuds containing a little carbolic acid. It is said that a branch of elder bush 
hung in a room will keep out flies, as they detest its smell. Oil of lavender will 
drive them away. A mixture of sugar and borax will kill them. A paste made 
of 1 pint of laurel leaves and % pi^ glycerine, and applied to window and door 
casings will rid a room of flies. Two applications will keep a kitchen clear for 
two weeks it is said. The smell is not deleterious to human beings; but the 
leaves taken into the stomach are poisonous. Stables can be freed from them 
by keeping the floor well swept and clean, and sprinkling on kerosene oil — using 
but little. 

A good sticky fly-paper can be made by soaking paper in a strong solution of 
alum and drying it; then take boiled linseed oil and resin, melt it and add honey; 
then spread it on the prepared paper. Equal parts, by measure, of castor oil 
and melted resin, thoroughly mixed, and spread on writing or other non-porous 
paper, will destroy them. 

Gnats. — Same as mosquitoes. Also the smell of turpentine is said to drive 
them away; saturate a rag and tie to the hat when fishing, or smear the hands 
and face with an ointment scented with it. 

Harvest Bugs. — Smear the legs over with a decoction of colocynth; or apply 
1 oz. insect powder macerated in 1 oz. weak spirit, and then diluted with 2% oz. 
water. The insects will not attack the parts thus smeared. 

Insects on Trees, Shrubs, Etc. — These may be destroyed by tying brimstone 
(flour of sulphur) in a gauze bag, and sprinkling it over the plants. 

Lice. — (1) Wash, the part affected with water containing one part carbolic 
acid to 20 of water. Or, (2) use 1 part of sulphurous (not sulphuric) acid to 3 
of water. The latter is excellent to destroy parasites on furniture, dogs, etc. 

Mosquitoes. — (1) As a preventive, mix 50 parts of glycerine with 1 part of 
dilute carbolic acid, and rub it on the exposed skin. The smell of the carbolic 
acid may be disguised with a little lavender if desired. (2) Kerosene or any of 
the essential oils applied to the skin is a protection against these pests. (3) To 
keep from the bed, hang on the bedstead a few bruised leaves of pennyroyal, or a 



ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 5i5 

sponge dipped in camphorated spirits, or lay over the head of the bed a cloth 
moistened with a teaspoonf ul of carbolic acid. (4) To drive from a room, burn 
camphor in a tin dish over a lamp so that it evaporates without igniting; or burn 
alittle insect powder (pyrethrum) on a hot shovel, or sprinkle a little of it on a 
piece of burning camphor; or scatter oil of pennyroyal about the room. .A bottle 
of pennyroyal left uncorked in a room over night will clear them out. (5) The 
castor-bean plant raised in tubs about the house or planted in the garden will 
rid the house of them. 

Moths. — Benzine or gasoline will kill both moth and eggs, and can be applied 
without injury to carpets, clothing, etc. Good fresh insect powder freely applied, 
will protect clothing, feathers, furs, etc., as they cannot live where it is, but it 
does not kill the eggs. Moths in carpets may be killed by laying on a wet cloth 
and applying a very hot iron; the steam thus generated kills both moth and eggs; 
or sprinkle on benzine or gasoline, which kills them both. 

The old-fashioned plan for protection was tq rely on strongly aromatic substances, (the 
value of which contisted in the fact that their odor was disagreeable to "the moths) 
such as camphor, cedarwood, tobacco, Russia leather, cloves, etc. (camphor and cedarwood 
being about the best) but the above is the most effectual treatment. If the insect powder is 
used, however, be sure that it is fresh and good. If the odoriferous substances are relied 
on, use enough to make the odor reasonably strong, as that is their only merit, and renew 
it when it becomes weak. 

The Life History of MOths.— During the cold weather of the winter season the worms 
lie torpid; they are transformed into crysalids early in the spring, and in about 3 weeks 
they hatch out into the winged state. They fly about for a time and then lay their eggs, 
when they at once die. They always seek out dark places to deposit their eggs, which are 
very small — too small for the unaided eye to detect. After about 2 weeks these minute eggs 
hatch out into small worms which do the mischief , and which begin their work at once. As 
all moths work in the dark, articles which are in the light are not so much exposed to their 
depredations. 

Slugs and Snails. — (1) Put salt on their trails (not tails). (2) Take cabbage 
leaves, soften them in an oven, cover with fresh dripping, and lay where they 
frequent. The leaves will soon be covered with slugs and snails and they can be 
destroyed. (3) No slugs will approach the smell of garlic, and a few pieces placed 
near plants, etc., will keep them away. (4) A piece of haircloth tied around the 
base of a fruit tree will keep them off. (5) If a few slices of turnip are laid about 
in the evening the slugs will gather on them and may then be destroyed. (6) 
Garden walls with salt sprinkled on top and at the bottom will not be troubled 
with snails crawling over them. 

Wasps. — Put 1 or 2 tablespoons of pulverized commercial potassium cyanide 
into the entrance of the nest without disturbing it or the insects. They enter, 
never to come out again. 

Weevils. — Weevils in beans, rice, wheat, and peas may be destroyed by sub- 
jecting the grain to a temperature of 130° to 145° for an hour. This does not hurt 
them for eating, but injures some of them for seed. Beans, etc., designed for 
eating can be treated to the hot bath. If a little bisulphide of carbon is put into 
the center of a bin, by means of a tube, the fumes will soon destroy all weevils or 
grain insects which may be within the bin. See what we say about the use of 
this substance under "Ants." 

A Word About Exterminators. — Benzine and gasoline are among the cheap- 
est and best insect exterminators known. They may be applied freely to cloth- 
ing, carpets, upholstered furniture, mattresses, etc.; the odor soon evaporates, 
but all vermin are effectually destroyed. Their inflammability makes care nec- 
essary when ignition is possible. Insect powder kills moths, bedbugs, fleas, and 
small insects; the larger insects it does not kill. Hot alum water (1 lb. alum to 
3 pints water) is death to all vermin where it can be applied, and is an excellent 
thing for common use. All insects dread pennyroyal; when the fresh herb 
cannot be gathered get the oil of pennyroyal; pour some in a saucer and 
steep cotton wadding in it, and place in bureau drawers, boxes, closet shelves, etc. 
Ants, cockroaches, etc., will soon disappear. Also excellent for brushing off the 
seed tick. Applied to dogs, sheep, horses, cattle and swine, it will keep off fleas, 
flies and mosquitoes. A decoction of 2 oz. lobelia seed steeped in 1 quart of water 
will also keep most insects off animals. Oil of peppermint in vapor is destructive 
to cockroaches, etc. Oil of cedar repels moths and is destructive to vermin. 

The best disposition to make of dead insects is to sweep them up and throw 
them into the fixe. 



516 ALL ABOUT THE HOUSE. 

♦» 

To Clear Fruit Trees from Insects. — Into 3 or 4 gallons of water put % lb- 
tobacco, % lb. sulphur, )4 peck of unslacked lime; syringe the trees well with this 
mixture and it will effectually destroy blight. 

Rats and Mice. — Bats. — Mix together 8 oz. strong cheese and 2oz. squills, and 
place in the haunts of rats; they eat the cheese, the squills act at once, and the 
rats die immediately. Much better than the usual rat poison. Or, sprinkle cay- 
enne pepper in their holes, or place a mixture of powdered glass and tar in their 
holes and run-ways. It banishes them. If they infest an empty house, scatter 
chloride of lime on the top floor— they will retreat to the one below; then scatter 
it there, and they will retreat to the next lower story. Drive them thus to the 
cellar; scatter there, and they will leave. Do not scatter in the lower stories first, 
however, as that only drives them up. After driving them out keep a little of 
the lime in the cellar and they will not pome back — it gives a permanent rid- 
dance. In using any poison, place a shallow basin of water near it; rats or mice 
will at once run to and drink it, dying there instead of in their holes. 

Mice. — Mix tartar emetic with pumpkin seeds, cheese, or some favorite food, 
and place for them. They will leave. Camphor gum mixed with seeds, or placed 
in drawers, trunks, etc., will preserve them from mice. They dislike the odor of 
camphor and keep away from it. Peppermint, or any other kind of mint, scat- 
tered about the shelves will keep them away, it is said. Pumpkin seeds make 
the best bait for mice traps. Ceyenne pepper will drive them away where it is 
scattered. Chloride of lime is as effectual with mice as with rats. Saturate a 
rag with a solution of ceyenne pepper and stuff it in a rat or mouse hole they 
will not touch it. 



THE LAUNDRY. 

There is probably no part of the regular home work which it is more difficult to 
have done right than that belonging to the laundry. Many or most of the 
women who claim to be good laundresses display an appalling ignorance of the 
subject, and the woman who trusts her work to them will often be dismayed at 
the result. Those who do their own washing will welcome every hint which will 
help them, and those who do not, should take pleasure in knowing how it ought 
to be done, for sooner or later it is sure to be of use to the possessor. The 
housewife should know why one article has acquired a yellow tinge, and what 
will eradicate it; why another has suddenly and unaccountably fallen into holes; 
and what is left undone to her table linen that it comes home without the bright, 
glossy look, which it ought to have. By the improved methods of washing now 
known 3^ the labor can be saved, and these we aim to explain, together with the 
best methods of handling various kinds of goods. 

The laundry should contain 3 or 4 tubs (the paper or saw-dust being best, as 
they will not fall to pieces if kept dry); 2 or 3 pails for drawing water; a long 
smooth stick for stirring the clothes while boiling; 1 medium-sized tin pail; 1 
large dipper; 1 large and 1 small basket; 2 cotton bags, 3 feet long and 2 feet 
wide, in which the most delicate articles can be placed before being boiled; 1 or 2 
high wooden clothes-horses, and a line on which to dry clothes in bad weather; 
an ironing table; a closet for holding irons, ironing blankets, etc. In the closet 
should be kept 5 or 6 doz. clothes-pins (the wooden being much the best); starch 
and gum arabic; bags for straining the starch; bluing; % doz. irons; 1 polishing 
iron; ironing blankets and sheets; a lump of beeswax wrapped in cloth; a board 
lj^ feet long and 8 inches wide on which to iron shirt bosoms; a paper or cushion 
of pins; 1 bottle of kerosene or washing fluid, and 3 or 4 good iron-holders. The 
ventilation of the room should be especially attended to, so that the steam can 
be carried off without the necessity of a draft from an open door or window. 
Ventilators high up in the wall which can be opened and closed at will are best. 
Water must be convenient; either drawn from pipes, or from a pump or well. 
Rain water is the very best for washing, and should be caught and preserved if 
possible. Where soft water is used, only %, as much soap is needed for washing. 
We elsewhere explain how to soften hard water. 

Washing Clothes. — By long custom Monday has become established as wash 
day. There are many advocates of Tuesday washing, however, and the latter has 
many advantages, as Monday can be devoted to sorting over the clothes, mend- 
ing them, etc. Before being washed the clothes should be looked over, any 
needed mending done, and any stains from fruit, grass, etc., removed, as stains 
are much more easily removed before they are touched by soap (we explain else- 
where how to remove stains of all kinds). The clothes should then be arranged 
in lots, the laces and linens being put by themselves, the bed and body linen in 
another pile, table linen, towels and doilies, in another, colored dresses, socks and 
stockings together, and flannels by themselves. And now as to the washing. 
One of the best methods for reducing its labor is by the use of kerosene, as 
follows: 

Kerosene for Washing. — Fill the boiler % full of soft water and shave in 1 
lb. of good soap. When the water boils and the soap is dissolved, add 2% table- 
spoons of kerosene oil. Now pick out the cleanest pieces, put them loosely into 
the boiler and let boil hard for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them occasionally; then 
take them out and put in the next cleanest, boil the same way, and so on until 
all are thus boiled. On taking out each lot look them over, and if there are any 
dirty spots on them rub them on the washboard, but usually no rubbing is 
required; then rinse them in clear, hot rinsing water, then in the bluing water, 
and then wring out for drying. 

Do not put too many pieces in at a time. Should the water boil low, add 
more, and % lb. of shaved soap and a tablespoon of oil. The kerosene takes out 
the dirt as if by magic, does not in the least injure even fine clothes, and leaves 

(517) 



518 THE LAUNDRY. 

no trace of its odor when they are dry. Some people measure the water on 
putting it in the boiler and add 1 tablespoon of kerosene to each pail of water 
used, and that is a good proportion, producing excellent results. 

Washing Fluid. — The next best labor saving device is by the use of washing 
fluid, made as follows: In % gallon of water dissolve 1 lb. of washing soda; add 

1 gallon of clear lime water (have it from freshly slacked lime), stir together, let 
it settle, and then pour off the clear water; to this add 3 oz. borax dissolved in 

2 pints boiling water; let it get cold and add 3 oz. pulverized carbonate of ammo- 
nia; when fully dissolved pour off into bottles, and cork tightly. To use, add L 
cupful to each 6 gallons of water; let the clothes soak in it over night, in the 
morning rub them a little if they need it (many of the cleanest ones will need no 
rubbing), run them through the wringer, then put them in the boiler and scald, 
then put them through the wringer again, pass through the rinsing water and 
hang out to dry. This saves half the work of washing, and is much less injurious 
to the clothes than most washing fluids (it is not nearly as hard on clothes as the 
old method of rubbing on the wash board which wears them out) and is greatly 
liked by those who use it. 

Washing Fluid No. 2. — Take 8 oz. unslacked lime, borax the size of an egg, 1 
lb. sal soda, and 1 gallon of water; bring it to a boil, remove from the fire, let 
settle, pour off the clear liquid and bottle for use. For use, into a boiler of cold 
water put soap and 1 teacup of this fluid. Put the clothes in dry, and when they 
come to a boil they are ready to take out; wet the next boiler of clothes, and put 
into the same suds; let them come to the boiling point, but do not boil; then 
rinse through hot water, and then in the bluing water. Some of these improved 
methods should be tried by housekeepers, and washing day will be robbed of 
half its terrors. 

Soaking Clothes.— Thoughtful women often ponder the question "To soak or not to 
soak? " The first action of soaking is to soften the dirt so that it is removed with less wear 
and tear to the clothes, hut when soaked all night the ohjection is that it does too much. 
While the first action of the soap or alkali is to combine with the dirt and render it soluble, 
if allowed to stand 12 hours or so it forms new compounds, less apparent to the eve, but 
harder to remove. This is often the reason that clothes have a dead, heavy smell after 
being done up. This is particularly apt to be the case if washing powders or washing fluids 
are used to soak them in. 

Washing Fluids and Powders.— The washing fluids on the market usually contain 
ammonia or chloride of lime, and a proportion of borax, and the powders are usually made 
of soap too hard to dissolve readily, which is dried, crushed, and mixed with powdeped 
potash or borax. If proper care is taken they can, however, be used. A tablespoon of 
either, stirred into a tubful of hard water before putting in the clothes, will soften it. But 
never on any account put any such powder into the water while the clothes are in it, as the 
strong alkalies they usually contain instead of at once dissolving in the water may settle 
on the clothes and eat holes in them. 

Washing With Turpentine.— Turpentine has been sometimes recommended as an 
addition to washing fluid. When applied in hot water to the bare arms of the laundress it 
is liable to be absorbed through the pores of the skin and cause illness, and hence it is best 
not to use it. Although it possesses some value as a detergent, the above fact should be 
borne in mind when its use is recommended. 

The Height of Tubs.— It will save many a backache if the tubs are fixed at the right 
height. If you are tall raise the tub; if short have a little box or stool to stand on. Many 
women are careless about these little points and suffer in consequence. 

Soaps. — A cheap hard soap can be made by shaving 4 largs bars of yellow soap 
into thin slices; put it into 2 gallons of rain or soft water, and when nearly dis- 
solved add 3 oz. borax and 2 lbs. sal soda; stir till all is melted, and pour into a 
shallow pan or large tub; when nearly cool stir in slowly 1 oz. liquid ammonia, 
mixing it well. Let stand 1 or 2 days, cut into cakes or bars, and dry in a warm 
place. It can be made for 3 cents a lb., and in less than % hour, and is good for 
all household purposes. This recipe has often sold for $5. 

Soap No. 2. — In 3 pints cold water dissolve a 1 lb. box of pulverized lye; melt 
5% lbs. of clean grease, and strain it through cheese cloth; when the lye- water 
is cool, and the grease cool enough to bear the hand, pour together and stir 
thoroughly until thickened. Pour into a box or dripping pan lined with greased 
paper, and let stand in a warm place for 24 hours; then cut into bars. Good. 

Soft Soap. — Where lye is not readily made from wood ashes commercial 
potash is used. Dissolve 8 lbs. potash, broken small, in an iron kettle containing 
about 12 quarts of boiling water; melt the same weight of clarified fat in another 
iron kettle; into a clean barrel put 3 or 4 gallons of hot soft water, and then put 
in alternately a ladleful each of fat and lye, stirring it well each time to mix it 



THE LAUNDRY. 519 

thoroughly; when it is all in, fill the barrel with hot water, stirring it in a ladle- 
f ul at a time, and then stir till it is all creamy. Now let it stand in a cool place for 
12 or 13 weeks, and it can then be used, making good soft soap. 

Substitute for Soft Soap. — Put thin shavings of hard soap in water, simmer 
slowly until thoroughly dissolved, and remove from the stove while very thin; if 
just right it will be of the consistency of thick soft soap, is excellent for laundry 
purposes, and can be used by those whose hands are roughened by soft soap. 

Soap Bark. — This is not appreciated by most women. It can be bought at 
any drug store, and is one of the best cleaning materials known and is suitable 
for almost any dark colored cloth; but it is liable to stain delicate colors, as it 
contains a little color itself. To prepare it for use; pour 1 quart of boiling water 
over about 5 cents worth of the bark, let it boil gently 2 hours, strain it through 
cheese cloth, and it can be used at once, or bottled for future use. Sponge out 
grease spots, etc., with it, and then sponge or rinse with clean water. Its cleans- 
ing power comes from the vegetable principle saponine which it contains. 

About Soaps.— The fats of which soaps are made are composed of fatty acids combined 
with glycerides. When boiled with an alkali the fatty acids unite with the alkali and form 
a compound called soap, and the glycerine is set free. In soap factories this glycerine is 
saved and sold, and the glycerine of commerce comes largely fro en soap factories, which 
obtain it in ihis way. The soap owes its cleansing power to its ready solubility in water, 
and the fact that its alkali will then readily unite with the greasy matters which usually 
constitute "dirtiness," and they will then be soluble in water, so that the cleansing power of 
soap depends on the amount of alkali which it contains. Pure alkali would be injurious 
to both the skin and the fabric, but it is milder in its action when combined with the fatty 
acids (forming soap) although retaining its cleansing properties. Soft soaps are made with 
potash, and hard soaps with soda. The cleansing power of soft soap results from its excess 
of alkali. Curd soap is the purest soap of commerce. It is made of tallow, with a little 
olive oil to impart softness. It enters into the composition of many fancy soaps. Windsor 
soap (when genuine) is made with olive oil and tallow. Castile soap is made of soda, olive 
oil and water. When marbled, a little sulphate of iron and sulphuretted lye are added. 
Carbolic soap contains some carbolic acid, and possesses some disinfecting power. Cheap 
soaps are often "loaded" with terra alba (white earth), resin, etc. The latter, although it 
makes soap "lather" profusely, does not increase its cleansing properties, and is used as 
an adulterant. 

Soap is best purchased in quantities and allowed to dry, as it then wears much longer. 
If dried too fast it will crack and break. The best way to cut cakes of soap in two is with 
strong thread or small twine, drawing it a< ross and pressing it on the cake. It cuts it 
better than- a knife, but a knife must be used to shave soap. 

Hyposulphite of Soda. — This is a colorless transparent salt, and is sometimes recommen- 
ded for use instead of washing soda. It possesses peculiar bleaching properties, and for 
fabrics bleached with chlorine it is used as a dechlorizing agent. If used in washing linen 
and cotton their appearance is much improved. 

Rinsing. — The great object in rinsing clothes is to extract the soap, and they 
should be thoroughly rinsed until all the suds is removed. The water they are 
first rinsed in should be hot, as that extracts the soap much better than cold 
water ever will. If the soap is not all extracted it will combine with the bluing 
and give a yellow tinge to the clothes. On being taken from the rinsing water 
the articles are wrung out, and those to be starched are put in one basket (it is a 
good idea to first spread a large, clean cloth in it); the others are put in another 
basket and hung out to dry at once. 

Bluing. — The amount of bluing used should be merely enough to overcome 
the yellow tinge. Put enough in the water to give it a pale blue color when a little 
is held up in the hollow of the hand, though some laundresses use more than oth- 
ers. Never let clothes lie in the bluing water; take 1 article at a time, dip it in 
once or twice, and wring it out, and so continue until all are done. Add a little 
blue from time to timeT;o keep up the shade. 

White goods, by the constant application of soap, and from other causes in the course of 
wear, manifest a tendency to turn yellow. The use of bluing is merely to overcome this 
and i ncrease the apparent whiten ess. For a good bluin g : (1) Buy 5 cents worth of indigo blue 
at the drug store, powder and put it in a quart bottle, and fill it with clear rain water. (2) 
A ball blue can be formed by mixing finely-powdered indigo with an equal amount of starch, 
or less if a very deep color is desired; then make it into a paste with warm water, and form 
it into small lumps or cakes. (3) In 10 oz. water dissolve 1 oz. indigo-carmine and y 2 oz. gum 
arable. 

Clothes wringers should be oiled carefully every week. Keep a little oil-can filled 
with machine oil for this purpose. Clothes will run through easily when the wringer is well 
oiled ; but otherwise it will go hard and waste the strength. If color gathers on the rubber 
rollers it can be taken off by washing them with a small cloth wet with kerosene oil, and 
then with soapsuds. 

Drying Clothes. — Before hanging clothes out to dry fold them to remove the 
creases of the wringer, and they will dry much better. Pocket-handkerchiefs 



520 tfHE LAUNDRY. 

should be folded double and hung up, 3 or 4 above each other, taken down when 
half dry, rolled up tightly, clapped, and they are ready to iron. Table linen is 
treated the same way, taken down when very damp, carefully folded ready to 
mangle first, to give it a fine gloss, and afterwards ironed. Body linen is dried 
much more; if too dry it must be sprinkled with clean water very slightly, and 
rolled up for ironing or starching. Never allow articles to be pegged singly to 
the lines on a windy day; let them be doubled, or even quadrupled, and much 
trouble from dilapidated corners will be saved. Never, except in fine hot weather, 
dry starched articles out of doors, or they will lose half their stiffness. If the 
clothes are dried in the house try and manage so that they dry mainly during the 
night, when the laundress is out of the room, as the moist heated room is quite 
injurious. 

Grass bleaching is the best way to whiten clothes that have got yellow from any cause. 
Spread them out on the grass, and if the sun is very hot, sprinkle them 2 or 3 times with 
water from the nose of a watering pot. It is best to take up the clothes every night and 
put them in a tub of cold water. The sun and air have a magical effect in whitening linen. 
After bleaching, they can be rinsed, blued, and done up. 

Clothes Lines and Clothes Pins. — A galvanized wire clothes line is the best to 
use, as it need not be taken down, and there is no danger that it will break. 
Always pass a clean damp cloth along a clothes line to free it from dust, before 
hanging the clothes on it. 

Wooden clothes pins are the best to use. A clothes-pin apron, made by facing 
a large square piece of cloth on the outside for a pocket, is much more convenient 
than a basket, as it allows free use of the hands. Clothes pins will be more dura- 
ble if boiled a few minutes and dried quickly once a month or so. 

Folding Clothes. — Clothes are best folded the night before ironing day, as there 
is then time to attend to all the little details. Skilful sprinkling makes ironing 
much easier. The water should be sprinkled on very evenly, not in great spots 
here and there. The quickest way is to take the articles as they come, without 
sorting them at all; sprinkle the first thing that comes to hand, then the next, 
and lay it on top, and so on until a pile is made; then push it away and make 
another, and so on. A small wisp broom, kept for that purpose, makes one of the 
best things with which to sprinkle clothes, as it scatters the water on evenly. 
When all are sprinkled, turn the first pile over, and carefully smooth and fold 
the garments, putting the different kinds together as far as possible. Roll up 
thin fabrics in muslin or a coarse towel to keep the outside from drying. Fold 
handkerchiefs and napkins but once, pull straight, lay them on top of one 
another, and roll up tightly in muslin. Roll towels the same way, but snap out 
the fringe before rolling, having it quite damp, as otherwise it is soon broken and 
worn off. Put the starched clothes by themselves, and do not turn them until 
just before ironing, The moisture is retained in the finer clothes by putting the 
sheets, etc., at the top of the basket. A thick cloth spread over the basket will 
keep it from drying. 

Starching Clothes. — For boiled starch use 1 heaping tablespoon of good starch 
to each pint of water. To make: Wet 2 tablespoons of starch with 8 table- 
spoons of cold water, mixing it to a smooth paste; then add slowly, stirring all 
the time, 2 pints boiling water; then boil it (not simmer) 15 to 20 minutes, stir- 
ring it frequently (do not let it burn), and then strain it while hot through 
cheese cloth (it will have to be squeezed through). It should be used hot, and 
when you thin it use hot water. 

To starch shirts or collars, wet the bosom, cuffs and collars; wring very dry, 
and starch while damp; rub in the starch well so as to have it go clear through, 
wring them in a dry towel, wipe off all starch left on the outside, spread out 
evenly, rub down with a damp cloth, roll tightly together, let them lie 2 or 3 
hours, and iron. If a blister appears when ironing, damped the finger and 
moisten it clear through; it will then iron out if the starch goes clear through, 
but not otherwise. 

Use thin starch for dresses, aprons and children's clothing, and have it rather 
thin for skirts; for table linen have only the thinest kind imaginable. To make 
clothes very stiff starch them and dry; then starch them again and dry. This 
will make them very stiff and they will iron easily; it is better than to have the 
starch very stiff. 



THE LAUNDRY. 521 

To prevent a crust from forming over starch, put a close cover over it as soon 
as made. 

There are hardly any 2 laundresses who proceed exactly alike in starching and ironing, 
and in hardly any department of housework is practice more essential to make perfect. 
Borax, salt, gum arabic, kerosene, hutter, lard, white wax, soap, spermaceti and turpentine 
are all used By laundresses to mix with starch to give a gloss to the linen and prevent the 
iron from sticking. We prefer kerosene (1 teaspoon to a quart of starch), and for snirts and 
collars a little sperm or white wax also. Some use 1 teaspoon of strained gum arabic water 
to a pint of starch, and there are numberless combinations, like salt and lard, sperm and 
borax, etc., advocated and vouched for by different laundresses. Any of the prepa- 
rations liked best can be added to the clear starch given above, to give a gloss. 

" Cold Starching ." — This is not as much used as " hot starching." To pre- 
pare cold starch allow 4 oz. starch to 1 quart of water; pour on a little water 
first, and let it stand, as it takes some time to dissolve; then add the rest, stirring 
all the time; strain through a muslin bag, and use. This wCuld be thick, and 
would need diluting for many articles. A little borax and soap are sometimes 
added. Articles dipped in cold starch need no damping. They can be rolled up 
smoothly and ironed in about 10 minutes; if they get dry from being left too 
long they must be dipped in again. 

Flour Starch. — Mix 3 level tablespoons of flour to a smooth paste with a little 
cold water; then add, stirring constantly, 1 quart of boiling water, and boil hard 
% hour, stirring frequently; then strain through thin cloth and use. Many 
people use this for common calicoes. 

Coffee Starch. — Make starch the usual way and add enough perfectly clear 
coffee to color it (about 2 cups); then strain it and add a piece of spermaceti the 
size of a pea. Use this starch for dark colored calicoes, muslins or percales. 

Ironing. — In ironing it is a good idea to begin with some of the plain pieces 
like sheets and pillow cases which will get the irons in good condition for the 
starched articles; then iron the starched clothes, and then finish the plain pieces. 
Iron starched clothes until they are perfectly dry; they should be made very 
damp, but damp the other clothes but little. Iron dresses on the wrong side 
first, and finish on the right. Fine muslins are best ironed twice in opposite 
directions. Always iron laces and embroideries by the thread of the material. 

To iron a shirt use heavy, well heated irons. Lay the back of the sleeve 
smoothly on the table, and iron each side; then iron the wrist band, first the 
wrong side and then the right side. Next iron the shoulder strap, then the neck 
band or collar. Now double the back of the shirt and iron it on both sides; 
spread the shirt out and iron all the front except the bosom. Now comes the 
bosom. If the ironing board is covered with woolen it will not stick to it. Lay 
on a thin cloth the first time the iron is passed over it; remove it, rub it with 
a damp cloth, and iron until the finish is satisfactory. A smooth, round-edged 
iron should be used to gloss it. Then hang up to dry well, fold neatly, and put 
away. 

To iron a collar or cuff place it evenly on the table with the wrong side up, 
iron it lightly, turn it over and iron the other side, lightly first, more heavily 
next, and then very heavily and smoothly, polishing it well at last. Then curl up 
and put aside to get firm and dry. 

Flat-irons which are rough or rusty can be cleaned by putting a little salt on 
a piece of brown paper and rubbing the hot iron in it; then rub the bottom of 
the iron with a little piece of beeswax tied in a piece of muslin and it will make 
it smooth. It is a good idea to rub each iron, before putting it back on the stove, 
on brickdust, sandpaper or salt, so that no starch may remain to be burnt on. 
Flat-iron holders should not be any thicker than necessary to protect the hand, 
as it is tiresome reaching around one too thick. It is a good idea to keep 3 or 4 on 
hand; a piece of leather from an old boot top inserted in the holder protects the 
hand well from the heat. Take irons from the stove and put them away as soon 
as the ironing is done; they are injured by being left on the stove. Always wipe 
irons thoroughly on taking them from the stove. 

Enamels for Shirt Bosoms. — There are many ''enamels" in use and each laun- 
dress can make for herself the one she likes best. We give a few. (1) Take 2 
parts spermaceti andl part white wax; heat moderately until they are melted 
together. To use, add a piece of this mixture (enamel), the size of a walnut, to 
each quart of starch. (2) Put in a cup and melt slowly % oz. white wax, % oz. 

32 



522 THE LAUNDRY. 

spermaceti, 2 oz. hard stearine, and 2J£ oz. paraffine; then let it cool. Rub it 
over the article just before ironing. (3) Mix 8 oz. paraffine, % oz. kerosene, % 
oz. glycerine. Any of the foregoing enamels will produce good results. 

Scorches, to Remove.— (1) For linen, take the juice of 2 onions, 2 oz. fuller's 
earth, ^ oz. of white soap, % P* 1 ^ °f vinegar; boil all together, and, when cold, 
spread on the spot; let dry, and then wash. (2) For white goods, dip linen clothes 
in chlorine water, and rub well on. For cotton goods re-dye if possible, or on 
woolen raise a fresh surface. On silks, all efforts are nearly useless. (3) For 
linen, mis the juice of 2 onions and % oz - °f white soap, and spread it on. See 
also "Spots and Stains." 

Yellowed clothes can be whitened by soaking them in buttermilk; then wash 
them with soap in lukewarm water, rinse in cold water, and dry them. Repeat 
if necessary. Soak coarse articles longer than fine ones, and for very fine articles 
do not have the buttermilk too sour. 

A Useful Hint.. — Always moisten with the tongue, on the wrong side, the but- 
ton holes of starched collars, cuffs and shirts, just before attempting to button 
them, or put in cuff buttons. That will soften the starch slightly so that they 
will button easily, and the button holes will never teaf out. Try it once, and 
you will always do it afterwards. 

Washing Flannels. — The great difficulty in washing flannels, blankets, and 
all woolen goods is caused by the nature of the material. The fibres of the wool 
contain numberless little hooks, which, with rubbing and change of temperature 
become knotted together, causing a shrinkage and thickening of the fabric. 
There are 3 things to avoid in washing flannels. (1) Do not change the tempera- 
ture of the water used from beginning to end, as it hardens the goods to take 
them from hot to cold water. (2) Never rub flannels as linen articles are rubbed 
as that causes the fabrics to knot together. Sop the articles up and down in 
the water and pull through the hands, and after each water squeeze as dry as 
possible with the hands, as the wringer may tend to make them harsh. (3) Never 
rub soap on flannels. Make a suds of lukewarm water (do not have the water 
so hot but what the hand can be held in it comfortably), and add 1 tablespoon of 
borax for each pail of water, as there is nothing better for flannels (at least for 
white ones) than borax. After washing, rinsing, and wringing as above directed, 
shake and pull the flannel into its original shape and hang it out to dry, in a 
current of air if possible. All flannel goods should dry as quickly as possible; if the 
weather is cloudy or gloomy it is better to dry them indoors. Take them in be- 
fore they are quite dry, pull, fold them as evenly as possible, roll up tightly in a clean 
towel or cloth, and leave a short time. If left to long they will shrink, so that it 
is better to iron them the same day if possible. Iron them until they are quite dry, 
with irons which are not very hot. Flannels and blankets treated thus will re- 
main soft and white until they are worn out. It is not best to use bluing in the 
rinsing water for flannels. 

Never wash colored flannels with white ones. If the water is not too dirty 
they can be washed in the same suds after the white ones; otherwise prepare a 
separate suds for them. Never boil flannels. If the dye is inferior and the color 
runs, dissolve a handful of salt in the first water used. 

Shrinking Flannel. — Flannels can be shrunk before being made up, by soak- 
ing them first in cold and then in hot water. 

Washing Infant's Clothing. — This should never be made too stiff, as infants 
are often caused much suffering by carelessness in this regard. The skirts of 
robes and long petticoats may be more stiff than the bodices, as it helps them to 
hold their freshness longer, but the bodices themselves should, at the most, be 
wrung only out of water starch, and the bibs which come directly under the chin 
must have none at all. Trimmings of little skirts which should be of the softest 
lace must never be starched; they look pretty starched, of course, but beauty 
should be sacrificed to the little wearer's comfort. Flannels unless carefully 
handled soon become shrunken and discolored. When laid aside, if wet, they 
should be plunged at once into a tub of cold soft water, without soap or soda, 
and left to soak a few minutes, then wrung out and dried gradually; or they can 
be sent to the laundry where, after this preliminary soaking they can be treated 
as ordinary flannel. 

Washing Stockings. — (1) Wash black stockings in strong salt water; then dry 



THE LAUNDRY. 523 

them and wash again in another brine, finishing in clear water. If properly done 
the dye will not rub off. (2) Before being worn soak black stockings, both cotton 
and woolen, in cold water over night; the next day wash in 2 tepid waters, mak- 
ing a lather with soap before putting in the stockings, and adding 1 tablespoon of 
ox-gall to the first water; then rinse, in lukewarm water first, until the dye ceases 
to come out; then stretch them and dry in the shade as fast as possible. After 
once washing in ox-gall, borax will answer for future washings; use little soap. 
Do not leave the stockings long in any water. (3) Wash colored stockings in a 
lather in which a little alum is dissolved; do not rub soap on them, put them 
through 2 waters, and rinse in 2 more. A little vinegar or salt in the rinsing 
water will help to fasten and brighten the colors. Turn striped stockings inside 
out to dry, which will keep the color from running on the right side. (3) Wash 
black thread stockings in ox-gall; then rinse in vinegar and water. 

Cleaning Silks. — Wash silk, or anything containing silk, in cool water; it is 
turned yellow by boiling water. Never let soap touch it, but a suds prepared with 
good soap can be used. Iron it between folds of linen; but do not let the irons 
touch the silk. Do not have the irons too hot. It turns dark if ironed wet, or 
even if very damp. 

Pongee silk can be washed in a warm suds of soap; rinse well, and pass 
through a wringer, but do not twist or wring with the hands. Iron when quite 
dry with a quite hot iron, laying it between 2 damp pieces of muslin. Never boil 
or scald it. The reason it turns dark, as ordinarily washed, is because it is ironed 
wet; the hot iron turns the water to steam, and that scalds and darkens it. A silk 
which has changed color in washing can be partly restored by washing again as 
above directed. If a silk comes from the laundress covered with dark spots, it 
is because it was allowed to dry and then sprinkled, and the sprinkling shows; 
to remedy this, put it in water, dry it, and iron it when quite dry. 

Black silk if not very dirty can be freshened by sponging it with weak borax or 
alcohol; if very dirty sponge with a decoction of soap bark and water; then hang 
out to dry. Iron it when dry, between 2 pieces of damp muslin. It can also be 
sponged with cold, strong tea, in which a little hartshorn has been put. 

Black silk is renovated by using a weak solution of coffee water. This is the 
French process. Do not wet the silk too much, and rub afterwards with a soft 
handkerchief to restore the luster. 

White or light colored silk of any kind can be cleaned (1) by rubbing them 
with slightly moistened cornmeal; lay the silk flat on a clean blanket, and treat 
both sides. (2) Rub with a dry powder composed of fine starch and a little laun- 
dry blue; then dust thoroughly. (3) Pink or cream colored silks can be cleaned 
by rubbing them with bread crumbs or chalk. 

Old silks of any color can be cleaned with alcohol; on 1 tablespoon of whisky 
or gin pour 2 cups boiling water; when cool sponge the silk with it. 

To Renovate Silk. — Potato water is good to clean all kinds. Grate the potatoes 
into cold spring water, say a large potato to each quart of water; 5 or 6 will do 
for a couple of dresses. If for very light silk, pare the potatoes; if for dark, merely 
wash them clean. The pan of water must not be stirred in the least for 48 hours; 
then, very steadily and slowly, pour off the clear liquor (but not a particle of the 
sediment) into a large open vessel; dip the pieces of silk into this liquid up and 
down a few times, without creasing them; then wipe them on a flat table, with a 
clean towel, first one side, then the other. It is well to hang each one, after dip- 
ping it, on a line, to allow the drops to drain off a little before wiping. Have a 
damp cloth to cover them with till all are done; then iron one way on the soiled 
side. 

Potato Wateb.— This is excellent for cleaning cotton or woolen goods as well as silk. 
It can be made a little stronger than the above (use, say, 2 potatoes to 1 pint water) and 
bottled for use at any time. The coarse pulp left after pouring off the clear liquid is excel- 
lent for cleaning carpets, curtains and other thick goods. Few people understand the 
value of potato water; it is one of the best things there is for light colored dresses, and no 
starching is necessary when it is used, because potatoes contain so much starch. 

Silk handkerchiefs should be first soaked 10 minutes or more in cold salt and 
water; then wash in the same water; iron, when nearly dry, between folds of mus- 
lin. They can be washed in a cool soap lather also, but never rub soap on them. 
The reason white silk handkerchiefs turn yellow when washed is because they 
are boiled, or ironed wet. 



S24 THE LAUNDRY. 

If soda has been spilled on black silk an application of acetic acid will usually 
restore the color. 

To Remove the Shine from Black Silk or Fine Black Diagonal. — Spread the 
article on a table or hard surface and rub the shiny place with a sponge wet with 
good cider vinegar until the shine disappears; then hang it up till dry in a shady 
place, and it will look nearly equal to new. 

To Wash Silk Underclothing. — Add 1 tablespoon of liquid ammonia to each 
gallon of warm soft water; put in the silk garments and let soak % to % hour; 
then wash them with the hands, rubbing soap only on those places which are 
soiled most (never resort to washboard rubbing); then rinse in lukewarm water, 
then in another, wring out thoroughly, and hang out to dry. Take them in before 
they are quite dry, fold, let lie a few hours only, and iron (the same day if possi- 
ble). Cover the silk with a piece of cloth and iron over that, not using a very hot 
iron and never letting it touch the silk. 

Chamois skin underclothes are now sometimes worn, but we explain elsewhere 
about washing them. 

Satin. — This can be cleaned (1) with benzine if greasy, or with borax water or 
alcohol. Always sponge it lengthwise — never across the width. It will not be 
injured by having the iron come in contact with it, but press it on the wrong side, 
(2) Mix 2 parts white honey, 1 part white soap, and 4 parts whisky; spread the 
satin on a clean marble slab, bring the mixture to the boiling point, and apply it 
while hot with a soft brush. Rinse with cold water till it runs off clear; do not 
wring, but put it between 2 linen cloths till nearly dry; while damp, iron with a 
hot iron. It will look like new. 

Linen.— Grey or buff linens may be prevented from spotting by stirring 1 
tablespoon of black pepper into the first water in which they are washed. 

To restore linen (1) apply a large handful of refined borax which has been 
diluted with 2 gallons of boiling water, and it will become a beautiful white. (2) 
If linen has turned yellow take 1 gallon of milk, put in 1 lb. white soap, shaved 
fine, dissolve it over the fire, and then put in the linen, and boil % hour; take it 
out, wash it in a lather of soap and water, and rinse it through 2 cold waters, 
with a very little blue in the last. 

Wine stains can be removed from linen by holding them in milk which is boil- 
ing on the fire; many other stains can be removed the same way. 

To remove mildew from linen, rub on soap, scrape chalk on thickly, and lay in 
the sun; repeat till the spots disappear. 

To Wash Woolen Goods.— Careful experiment has established the following 
points: (1) The liquid used for washing should be as hot as possible. (2) For 
removing greasy dirt, sweat, etc., borax is useless. The best thing is soap lye 
and ammonia mixed. This dissolves the dirt, raises and revives the colors, and 
is most excellent. (3) For white woolens, nothing else approaches borax. Soap 
lye and borax, applied boiling hot, give white woolens a beautiful looseness and 
dazzling whiteness. (4) To avoid shrinkage, press the woolens repeatedly between 
soft cloths to hasten the drying. They are best dried in a current of air, and in 
cold weather in a warm place not too near the stove. Never dry them in the 
sun, as they then become dry and hard. 

For colored woolens put on the stove 7 quarts soft water and add 2 oz. best 
soft soap (the strength may be adapted to the dirtiness of the goods); when hot, 
and properly dissolved and stirred, divide into 2 vessels; to 1 add 1 teaspoon of 
ammonia to each quart of the solution, and while it is very hot put in the wool- 
ens; stir and press them with smooth wooden stirrers, as the hand cannot bear 
the heat; then transfer to the other vessel, to which no ammonia is added, which 
will be partly cooled, and here press the goods with the hands, but do not wring 
or twist them ; then remove, and press them between 3 or 4 soft dry towels, until 
these no longer become wet; then dry quickly in a current of air, but not in the 
sun. 

For white woolens proceed as above, but instead of the ammonia add 1 tea- 
spoon of powdered borax to each quart of the mixture. If the second half of the 
solution is made too'soapy, it may be diluted with a little hot water. 

If the washing is large, after thus washing 2 or 3 lots of woolens, heat the 
second half of the mixture again, add borax or ammonia, and use it to put the 
goods in first, preparing a fresh solution to serve as the second to which the 



TUB LAUNDRY. §25 

goods are transferred; that which was before used as the first solution can be 
put away to settle. If you wash woolen goods thus you will be charmed with the 
results. The method is the result of much experiment. 

To Clean a Woolen Hood. — (1) Use gasoline; dip in the hood and squeeze 
(but do not wring) until the gasoline looks dirty; then dip it 2 or 3 times in clean 
gasoline, rub it between the hands, and when clean squeeze as dry as possible; 
then hang on the line, or shake till dry. As gasoline is very explosive never use 
it near a fire or lamp. (2) Rub it well between the hands with dry flour or corn- 
meal, shake well in the open air, and it will look like new. 

To Clean White Woolen Shawls or Soiled Lace. — Put them in a steamer, over 
a kettle of strong soapsuds, and steam them in that way. 

Dry Cleaning of Flannel and Woolen. — Rub it well with dry cornmeal and it 
will look fresh and clean; white and light colored goods may be cleaned in 
this way. 

Zephyr shawls and other goods can be cleaned thus, with either cornmeal or 
dry flour. 

Washing Lace. — Stitch a piece of muslin firmly around a bottle or piece of wood; 
baste the lace to this, winding it around the bottle, and cover with thin muslin ; then 
let it soak for a time in melted soap and water, and then pour the water over it sev- 
eral times; if very dirty it may be steamed at the side of the fire; then rinse it 
well, blue, dip in the water in which a little rice has been boiled, and leave it to 
dry. When unwound from the bottle it has only to be picked over a little, and 
either pressed between the covers of a book or ironed with a very cool iron on 
the wrong side. 

Colored Silk Lace. — This should be first soaked for an hour in cold soft 
water, containing a teaspoon of salt to the pint of water; then wash it in a cool 
lather made of soft water and good soap, like curd or white Windsor (if you have 
no soft water add borax to the lather), squeeze the lace through this several 
times until clean, and leave it in for a time; then rinse it in clear water contain- 
ing salt as at first, but no soap. If you wish to stiffen it, rinse it in a weak gum 
water or sugar water. Squeeze it as dry as possible, and iron it on the wrong 
side between folds of clean cloth. 

Lace Curtains. — These should have the dust shaken from them, and then 
put them into lukewarm soft water in which good white soap has been dissolved. 
Wash gently with the hands, changing the water until it is no longer clouded 
with dirt; rinse them, pass through the bluing water, and put through a wringer 
or squeeze them dry, but do not wring by twisting with the hands. Before 
washing them measure the length and width of the curtains and as soon as they 
are starched (use boiled starch, and have it blued a little) pin them to clean 
sheets fastened to the carpet in some unused room, stretching them to the exact 
size they were before being wet. Do not iron them, but dry as quickly as possi- 
ble. Conduct the whole process quickly, as lace shrinks on being wet a long 
time. Or they can be pinned to sheets stretched on quilting frames; set the same 
as for quilting, on four chairs set in the hot sun. Some sew up their curtains 
between sheets, and boil them till clean, then rinse, blue, starch, and dry as above 
directed. 

Many professional cleaners boil lace curtains until clean, in acids and other strong 
chemicals. They look beautifully when sent home, but their texture is ruined and they 
soon wear out, so that it is better when practicable to wash them at home. 

To Wash Ecru Lace Curtains. — Put 5 drops ox-gall in 4 gallons warm soft 
water; soak the curtains in this ^ hour, and then draw them through the hands 
a few times so that all parts will receive the same friction; rinse in another 
water prepared the same way, and run them through a wringer. Dry them 
pinned to sheets fastened to the carpet as directed above. When dry, fold them 
down the center, then again several times, and put them for 2 days under a 
weight. They will look like new. 

Thread and Valenciennes Lace. — This can be washed by letting it soak well 
in soft water in which castile soap is dissolved; sop it around in it occasionally. 
When well washed, pass it through the bluing water containing a little gum 
arabic to stiffen it. Squeeze lightly with the hand, but do not twist it, and pin 
it on a stiff cloth, with a pin in each loop, and dry it in the sun. Do not iron it. 
Valenciennes can be tinted by rinsing it in weak coffee instead of clear water; 



§26 fafi laundr£ 

have a little gum arabic in it to stiffen. Saffron water can be prepared by pout- 
ing boiling water on saffron; by regulating its strength laces can be dipped in it 
and. tin ted any shade from deep yellow to pale cream. 

To Wash Black Lace. — Mix bullock's gall with sufficient hot water to make it 
as hot as you can bear your hand in it, and pass the lace through it; it must be 
squeezed, not rubbed. Rinse through 2 cold waters, tinging the last with a little 
blue. After drying, put it into some stiffening made by pouring boiling water on 
a very small piece of glue; squeeze out, stretch and clap it. Afterwards, pin out 
on a linen cloth to dry, laying it very straight and even, and taking care to open 
and pin the edge very nicely. When dry, iron on the wrong side, having laid a 
linen cloth over the ironing board. 

To Starch Lace. — Use a very thin boiled starch, or the liquor in which rice 
has been boiled. Dip the lace in the starch and squeeze it out. Clap between 
the folds of a towel to partially dry it. It is always ironed on the wrong side. 
Lay it on the table, wrong side up, and slightly picked out, and place a piece of 
muslin over it. Rub a cool iron over several times until a little dry. Take it up, 
and with the fingers pick it out to show the pattern and the edge; iron again, 
pick out once more, carefully draw to each side and give a final ironing. The iron 
must be very cool, or the lace will be stiff; moving it about in the hands and 
drawing it out tends to make it flexible. 

To Tint Curtains or Laces. — Put no bluing in the starch, but for ecru mix the 
starch with water tinted with coffee; for a yellow tint use saffron, and for a pink 
tint use a decoction of logwood. 

To Revive Black Lace. — (1) Make some black tea about the strength usual 
for drinking, and strain it clear from all leaves. Put the lace in a basin, pour on 
sufficient tea to cover it, and let it stand 10 or 12 hours; then squeeze it several 
times, but do not rub it; dip it frequently into the tea, which will at length 
assume a dirty appearance. Have ready some weak gum water, and press the 
lace gently through it; then clap it for 34 hour; then pin it upon a towel in any 
shape you wish it to take. When nearly dry, cover it with another towel and 
iron it with a cool iron. The lace will now look as good as new, if it was merely 
discolored but sound. (2) Wash the lace thoroughly in some good beer; use no 
gum water; then clap the lace, and dry and iron as in the previous recipe. 

To Clean and Renovate Black and Colored Veils. — (1) Use whisky; then 
stiffen with gum arabic water, clap between the hands, and lastly iron between 
2 moist linen cloths. (2) For black veils take 1 pint warm water, add a little ox- 
gall, and dip the veils into it; rinse them in cold water. Then make a weak size 
by pouring some boiling water onto a small piece of glue. Into this hot size dip 
the veils; draw them out quickly, clap them, and stretch them on frames, or pin 
them to dry. 

To Clean Black Lace. — Proceed as explained for cleaning black veils. 

Brussels lace should be kept away from perfumes, and from the air. 

To Wash Ginghams, Prints and Sateens. —To wash ginghams, prints and 
sateens (but not light cambrics) proceed as follows: Use no soap, but for 2 dresses 
mix 1 cup flour in 2 cups cold water; then add 3^ quarts boiling water and it 
will make 1 gallon of flour starch. Into a tub containing 4 gallons of warm water 
put 2 quarts of this starch; then put in 1 of the dresses and wash it, rub- 
bing it just as if soap was used; then rinse it through 2 clean waters, wring out 
and hang out to dry. The cloth will be cleaned by the starch, and will retain 
enough of it to be stiffened sufficiently. Then wash the other dress the same 
way. Dry colored goods thoroughly, and only dampen them a few hours before 
they are ironed. Iron them on the wrong side. Put % CU P °f s& lt in the last 
rinsing water if the colors run. If the color is blue and faded, adding to the last 
rinsing water 4 tablespoons of vinegar or 2 of acetic acid, will sometimes restore 
it; but as the chemicals used in the dying are not always the same, it will not 
always work Do not let the fabrics lie in the water but wash them out 
quickly. A piece of alum the size of a walnut added to each pint of starch is 
sometimes used to preserve the colors of ginghams and calicoes; they are also 
sometimes dipped in salt and water before being put into the washing water, to 
prevent their fading. 

To Clean Satins or Sarcinets. — (1) Thoroughly mix 4 oz. of soft soap, 4 oz. of 
honey, the white of 1 egg, and a wineglass of gin. Scour with a stiff brush, using 



THE LAUNDRY. 527 

the mixture; when clean, rinse with cold water. Do not wring the satin, but 
hang it up for a while, and iron it while still damp. (2) Scatter French chalk 
over them and brush it off with a hand brush once or twice. (3) Sponge on the 
right side with dilute spirits of wine, sponging with the nap, not across it. Iron 
on the wrong side, while damp, placing muslin between the fabric and the iron. 
Do not clean at home satin which is to be dyed. (4) Mix sifted stale bread 
crumbs and powder blue, and thoroughly rub it all over the satin; then shake 
well, and dust it with clean soft cloths. Then, if there are many silver or gold 
flowers, rub them with a piece of crimson ingrain velvet, which will restore them 
to their original luster. 

To Clean Velvet, Velveteens or Plush. — If only slightly soiled free them from 
dust by brushing, and then sponge them with benzine, or a weak solution of 
borax and water. If much soiled, sop them up and down in benzine to which a 
little water is added; then brush over the back with a strong solution of gum 
arabic and water; this stiffens it and prevents the pile from loosening; let it dry 
slowly but thoroughly, and then brush the pile smartly until it stands up, and in 
the right direction. Thus treated, faded and greasy dress trimmings may be 
made to look like new. 

To Wash Colored Muslins. — Use a lather of cold water and soap; if they are 
black, put in a little salt; if green, a little vinegar, and if lilac, a small quantity 
of ammonia. Do not use warm water even for rinsing them. 

Crape, to Restore. — Skimmed milk with water, with a little bit of glue in it, 
made scalding hot, is excellent to retore rusty Italian crape. If clapped and 
pulled dry afterwards, like muslin, it will look as good as new. Or, brush the 
veil till all the dust is removed, then fold it lengthwise, and roll it smoothly and 
tightly on a roller, steam it till it is thoroughly dampened, and dry it on the 
roller. 

To Make Old Crape Look Nearly Equal to New. — Hold it in both hands, and 
pass it backwards and forwards several times through the steam coming from 
the spout of a violently boiling tea-kettle; it will make it look fresh and new. 

To restore black crape when spotted by being wet, by the rain or otherwise, 
spread it out on the table with a piece of black silk underneath the spots; then 
carefully paint over the stains with a soft camel's hair brush dipped in black ink; 
carefully wipe off the superfluous ink with a piece of black silk; when dry, the 
stains will be gone. 

Crapes, bombazines and mourning goods can be freed from stains by using 
a solution made by boiling a handful of fig leaves in 2 quarts of water until it is 
reduced to 1 pint. 

Black Cashmere. — This can be washed in borax water; rub it with the hands 
merely, not on a board. Press out the water, but do not twist or wring it; or 
fold it evenly and pass it through a wringer; then hang out to dry. Press it out 
when dry. 

Black Grenadine. — This can be renovated by using cold, strong coffee, strained 
clear; wring it out tightly, shake well, and fold; to iron, put some black material 
under it, and use a moderately hot iron. 

Nankeen. — (1) Wash nankeen garments with moderately hot soap-water; then 
boil them, rinse, but do not wring them out, and hang up to dry, inside out, in a 
shady place. (2) Let 1 oz. of green tea steep in the necessary amount of water 8 
or 10 minutes; then, while hot, pour the decoction through clean linen cloth on 
to the nankeen article; let stand till cold, take out, but do not wring out, and dry 
it in the shade. 

Washing Chintz. — Wash it in a suds of the best soft soap, containing a pinch 
of salt and 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the quart; rinse quickly in water containing 
a little salt and 1% tablespoons of vinegar to the quart. 

To Clean Glazed Chintz Curtains. — Shake off the loose dust, then lightly 
brush with a small long haired furniture brush; then wipe it closely with clean 
flannels, and rub it with dry bread. If properly done they will look nearly as 
well as at first, and if the color be not light they will not require washing for 
years; fold in large parcels and put carefully away. While up they should be 
preserved from the sun and air as much as possible — these injure delicate colors; 
the dust may be blown off with bellows. Curtains may thus be kept sufficiently 
clean to make up again with new linings. 



528 THE LAUNDRY. 

To Clean Chenille Portieres or Curtains.— These are generally sent to a clean- 
ing establishment, but to clean at home get 5 or 6 gallons of gasoline (worth 
about 15 cents a gallon), cover the curtain with the gasoline in a washing machine, 
if you have one, and wash about 10 minutes; if not, put it in an ordinary tub and 
sop the curtain up and down in it till well cleaned; then squeeze dry, shake well 
to get out the wrinkles, and hang in the shade to dry. Gasoline is very inflam- 
mable, and must not be used near a fire. A good place to use it is in the yard on 
a clear day. The gasoline can be allowed to stand and settle; then pour off the 
clear part and keep tightly bottled for further use. It will not injure the most 
delicate colors, and can be used to clean gloves, white shoes or silk. The curtains 
can also be cleaned by using equal parts of boiling water and benzine instead of 
the pure gasoline, if more convenient. 

Faded Hangings, to Restore. — Beat out the dust and brush them; make a strong 
lather with castile soap, and apply with a hard brush; then with clean water 
wash off the lather, and then wash them over with alum water; let dry, and the 
colors will usually be restored. 

Gold and Silver Embroidery and Fancy Work. — This should not be cleaned 
with alkaline and acid solutions, as is so often done — it frequently destroys their 
beauty. Use instead, spirits of wine, either alone or diluted % with water. 

Bed-Ticks, to Clean. — Apply poland starch by rubbing it on thick with a 
cloth; place it in the sun; when dry, rub it if necessary. The soiled part will be 
clean as new. 

Coat Collars. — These when greasy, may be cleaned by saturating them with 
benzine, and leaving it on until the grease is out; then wash off with soap and 
water, or ammonia and water. Gasoline and turpentine also cut the grease read- 
ily. Another way is to apply ammonia with a sponge, and then rub well with 
a dry cloth; repeat the operation until the collar is clean. See also the cleaning 
compounds given elsewhere. 

Bleaching. — (1) Dissolve 1 lb. of chloride of lime and 1 tablespoon of sal soda 
in soft water; put in 30 yards of cotton cloth, leave 34 hour; then take out and 
rinse thoroughly in soft water, as the solution will rot it if not all removed. (2) 
In 1 quart of soft water dissolve 3?£ lb. chloride of lime; bottle, and cork closely. 
To use, dilute what is needed with an equal quantity of water; it will remove 
stains from table linen which resists milder treatment. (3) Into 4 quarts of boil- 
ing water put 6 cents worth of oxalic acid; pour it over the clothes, stirring them 
up well, and leave till the water is cold; then spread out to bleach on the grass, 
and they will soon whiten. Use oxalic acid carefully as it is very poisonous. (4) 
Chloride of lime acts with difficulty on animal substances, so that for woolen or 
mixed goods, after washing and while still wet, put them into a solution of 
hyposulphite of soda, and let them soak several hours; then take them out and 
put them into a solution of tartaric acid, which should be ready prepared; keep 
the vessel well covered, as the action of the acid on the hyposulphite develops 
sulphurous acid, which bleaches the articles. Then wash in water containing 
ammonia, which increases their whiteness. 

Setting Colors. — Most colored fabrics are improved by soaking them for some 
time before being washed in a solution of 1 tablespoon of ox-gall to each gallon 
of soft water. Ox-gall sets any color in cotton, woolen or silk. 

French linens can have the colors preserved by putting them in a strong clean 
tea of common hay. 

Calicoes with blue or pink colors can have the colors set by putting soda in 
the rinsing water. Vinegar can be used the same way for pink or green. Salt 
is good for all colors but blue, but it injures that. A little saltpetre in a pail of 
water will set the color in blue cambric. Soaking calicoes, cambrics or muslins 
for 2 hours in a solution of 1 oz. of sugar of lead to the pail of water is good for 
all colors but blue. Alum water is used for setting greens and blues. 

Black goods can have the color improved by putting them into a solution of 1 
teacup of lye to a pail of water. Dark hosiery, cambrics, etc., can have the 
colors set by soaking them 2 hours in a pail of water containing 1 tablespoon of 
black pepper. 

Scarlet napkins, red table cloths, and red-bordered towels, can have the colors 
set by putting borax in the water in which they are washed. Putting colored 
napkins in a weak lye before washing them sets the colors. 



Page. 

Acetic acid 18 

Acids, food value of 18 

Acid stains - 499 

Adulterations of f ood.402-406 

Air, cooling it 437 

impurities in 437 

Ajo bianco 399 

Alabaster 457 

Albumen 49, 95, 97 

stains of 500 

Albumenoids, the 15 

digestion of 12 

in milk 142 

Alcohol 498 

Alizarine ink stains 500 

Alkalies, action ofonfood 13 

used in cooking 236 

Alkaline stains 499 

All about theihouse.415 to 516 

Almack cheese 315 

Almond blanc mange 266, 372 

cake 242 

coloring 257 

custard 267 

drops .....260 

extract of 239 

macaroons 263 

pudding 217 

soup 65 

to blanch, etc 235 

to buy. 34 

Allspice, essence of 239 

its nature, etc 34 

Altering recipes 51 

Alum 510 

Aluminum ware 417, 466 

Amber, hints about 454 

Ammonia 499 

Amnastich 400 

Anchovies 72 

Anchovy sauce 86 

Angelica, its origin,, etc . . 34 

Angel's food cake 247 

Aniline stains 500 

Anise drops 260 

Antiseptics, to check de- 
composition 16 

Ants, to exterminate 512 

Apples, baked 304 

boiled 304 

butter 304 

canning of 327 

catsup... 343 

cobler 212 

cider sauce 305 

composition of 295, 296 

compote of 308 

custard 267 

drying of. 302 

dumplings 224 

float 269 

for smoking 296 

for vomiting 296 

fried 304 

fritters 231 

glaced 304 

jam 317 

jelly 312 

kuchen 269 

marmalade 314 

meringues 304 

nutritive value of dried. 301 

paste 316 

pickles 339 

preserves .319 

pudding 217 

sauce 304 

sauce of dried 305 

serving of 296 

shortcake 215 

spiced , . .342 



INDEX. 

Page. 

Apples, to skin 302 

to keep 42' 

vinegar 345 

water 353,365 

Apricots, canning of. 328, 331 

cheese 315 

composition of 295 296 

marmalade 314 

paste 316 

preserves 319, 323 

serving of 296 

shortcake 215 

to keep 42 

Arrowroot custard 267 

adulterations of 406 

blanc mange 368 

origin, etc. 367 

to buy 33 

to cook 366 

Artichokes, canned 158 

composition of 158 

cooking of.. 158 

French, fried 158 

Jerusalem 158 

globe 158 

origin of 158 

pickled 334 

to keep 39 

Asparagus, a la Fran- 

caise 158 

buttered 153 

buying 30 

canningof 329 

composition of 155 

creamed 158 

origin of 159 

soup 65 

steamed 158 

Asphalt, artificial 433 

Aspicjelly 86 

Asses' milk 366 

artificial 366 

Bacalao 399 

Bacilli .., 326 

Bacon, buying 28 

flitchesof 28 

Bacteria 16,142,326 

Bain marie 98 

Baking dishes, cleaning.. 422 

Baking meat 96 

Baking powder, bread. ... 186 

adulteration of 403 

its action, etc ... 185 

proportion to flour. 235, 236 

to make ..185 

Bananas, baked. 305 

composition of 295, 297 

compote of 308 

custard 267 

fried 305 

fritters 231 

in jelly... 272 

nutritive value of 297 

shortcake 215 

toserve 297 

Bannock, Indian 194 

Barberry, jam 317 

preserves 319 

syrup.,. 357 

Barding 102 

Barley, buying 32 

composition of 179 

for invalids 362 

origin, etc 32 

patent 32 

pearl..... 32 

soup 56 

water 365 

Barrel, garbage 425 

Barrels, to clean 490 

Bass, buying 30 

(529) 



Page. 

Basting meats 96 

Baths, care of 452 

Bay leaves, origin, etc... 41 

Beans, baked 159 

buyingof 30 

canningof., 329,330 

composition of 155 

cooking of 159 

French 159 

New England baked 159 

nutritive value of 159 

origin of 159 

pickled 334 

porridge 56 

salad 150 

shelled 159 

soup 56 

to keep 39 

to shell easily 157 

Bear meat, to cook 130 

Beating cakes, etc 237 

Bedbugs, to exterminate. 513 

Bedding, to disinfect 441 

Bedford flavoring 239 

Bedroom, the 434 

Beds, hints about 435 

Bedstead, creaking of ... . 435 

Bed ticks, to clean 528 

Beef, cooking of ...106 to 112 

composition of 104 

alamode 108 

balls 106 

beefsteak ,...110 

boiled dinner Ill 

boiled tongue 109 

chipped.. 106 

cheese 106 

corned 106 

cur ing it 410 

deviled 107 

deviled liver 108 

dobe 106 

dried 107 

essence of, stewed 364 

fillet of 27,107 

frizzled 107 

juice of broiled 364 

Hamburg 412 

heart 107 

hunter's 107 

kidneys 108 

location of parts in 407 

minced Ill 

mock duck 108 

mock sausage 111 

omelet 108 

pot-pie 108 

pot roast of .109 

potted Ill 

pressed 109 

roast 109 

salad 150 

spiced 109 

soup 60 

stuffed liver 108 

suet, to keep 47 

to buy 26 

to corn it 411 

to dryit 412 

to keep :... 37 

tripe 110, 412 

with Yorkshire pud- 
din? ..; 109 

Beef fat 414 

Beefsteak 110 

broiled 110,364 

broiled chopped 110 

Hamburg steak 110 

pie 110 

rolled 110 

Sal isbury steak 110 



636 



INDEX 



Page. 
Beefsteak with onions. . . .110 

Beef tea 365 

to remove fat from 363 

value of 361 

Beers, to make 356 

stains of 500 

Bees, to get rid of 512 

Beetles, black 513 

Beets, boiled 160 

canning of 330 

creamed 160 

greens 160 

nutritive value of 160 

origin of 160 

pickled 334,340 

vinegar 345 

Benneoil 144 

Benzine 499 

Benzine collas 499 

Benzole 499 

Berries, tocan 337 

to keep 44 

to serve 297 

shortcake 215 

stewed, dried — 305 

Beverages 347 to 356 

apple water 353 

blackberry nectar 353 

cherry acid 353 

cider 356 

choca 353 

chocolate 353 

coca 352 

cocoa 352 

cocoanut 353 

coffee 348 to 352 

cream soda 353 

currant shrub 354 

currant water 354 

ginger 354 

ginger pop 356 

gooseberry shrub 354 

grape juice 354 

grape water 354 

jelly-. 35* 

koumiss 354 

lemonade 354 

lemon beer 356 

mead 355 

oatmeal drink 355 

orangeade 355 

orgeate 355 

Paraguay tea. 353 

Persian 355 

pineapple 355 

raspberry acid 355 

raspberry shrub 355 

raspberry water 355 

spruce beer 356 

strawberry acid 356 

strawberry shrub 356 

tea 347 

tisane 356 

tomato 356 

tutti frutti 356 

vinegar water 355 

Bilberry, the 297 

composition of , 297 

Bile, action of 12 

Bil iousness, food for 363 

Birdlime 32 

Bird'snest 270 

Biscuits 189 to 191 

baking powder 189 

buttermilk 190 

cream 190 

drop 190 

entire wheat 190 

ginger „ 262 

graham 190 

milk 190 

raised 190 



Page. 

Biscuits, savoy 264 

shortcake 190 

soda 190 

sponge 272 

tutti frutti 190 

wafers 190 

Bites and stings 513 

Blackberry, the 297 

canning of 328 

composition of 295, 297 

drying of 302 

jam , 317 

jelly 312 

marmalade 315 

nectar 353 

pickled 340 

preserves 319 

spiced 342 

syrup 357 

Blackings, acid 487 

Blackings for shoes, etc . .489 

Black reviver 504 

Black walnut, ink on, . . . 451 
Bladders, to prepare for 

use.. , 413 

Bleaching clothes.... 520, 528 

Bleaching powder 438 

Blood, stains of 500 

Blueberry, the 297 

composition of 297 

pickled 340 

Blackbird pie 127 

Black pepper vinegar 94 

Blanc mange 266 

almond 266, 272 

corn-starch 266 

farina 266 

fruit 266 

arrowroot 368 

rice 368 

sago 368 

tapioca 368 

taganrok 368 

Irish moss 266 

rice 266 

variegated ........266 

Blood, how supplied 13 

Blue fish, to cook 72 

Bluing for clothes 519 

Body, composition of the. 13 

Boiled dinner Ill 

Boiling, killing the odor 

of 104 

meat 96 

principles of 96 

water 96 

Bologna sausages 413 

Bombazine, to clean 527 

Bones, hints about 455 

in soup 49 

Boning meat 102 

poultry 121 

Bonnets, hints about. . 496 
Books, hints about.. 483, 484 

Boots 487 to 489 

Borage 41 

Borax 510 

Boston chips 170 

Bottles, to clean 463, 464 

Bouillon 60 

Bracciolette 398 

Braising 101 

Brass, hints about 467, 468 

Brass and copper 468 

Brass vessels 417 

Brawn 120 

Bread 179 to 189 

after baking it 182 

adulteration of 402 

baking of 181 

baking pans for 181 

baking powder 186 



Page. 

Bread, box for 182 

brown 1S7 

Boston brown 187, 188 

buttermilk 187 

Carolina rice 188 

composition of 179 

corn 188 

crumbing 103 

crumbs 103, 189 

digestibility of 182 

discovery of leavened., 9 

eating hot .182 

entire wheat 186 

essentials of making 179 

fermentation of 183 

graham 188 

gluten 188 

half and half 186 

keeping of 182 

Kentucky egg corn 188 

kneading of 180 

lime water for 363 

milk. 187 

mixing it 179 

mixing flours for 182 

oatmeal 189 

once raised 186 

oven for baking 181 

pastry flour for 183 

prepared flour for 183 

principles involved In 

making 183 

remnants of 182 

rice 188 

rising of ,.180 

rye ,... 189 

saltin 183 

salt rising. 187 

squash 189 

steamed stale 189 

to keep 47 

uses of stale 47, 189 

using potatoes in 183 

using sugar in. 183 

water 186 

white 185 

white corn ..188 

yeast for 179 

Breakfast dish, a 127 

Bretzeln 395 

Brioches 191 

Bristle tail 513 

British gum 17 

Brittania metal 468 

Broiling 95 

Bronze .":.. 468 

Bronzing, process for. . . 468 

Brooms, care of 419 

Broth, chicken 364 

meat 62 

mutton 63,364 

to improve its flavor 61 

valueof 361 

Browned flour 106 

Brown roux 86 

Brownstone 457 

Brussels sprouts, boiled.. 160 

buying 30 

saute. 160 

origin of 160 

Buckwheat, buying of . 32 
batter, to keep sweet ..196 
cakes, baked 193 

flour composition of 179 
muffins..,. 194 

origin, etc . 32 

Buffalo meat, to cook 130 

Buffalo moth 613 

Buns, cinnamon 191 

English 191 

plain 191 

Burnett's disinfectant.., 439 



IttDEX 



53i 



PAGE. 

Butte? 143 to 145 

adulteration of 405 

anchovy 201 

butyric acid in 143 

buying of 31 

causes of its flavor 143 

clarified. 144 

composition of 143 

drawn 87 

horseradish 88 

garlic 88 

lobster 63 

maitre d' hotel 87 

montpelier 87 

mustard 201 

nut 88 

scented 88 

rancid, to restore 44 

substitutes for 144 

tarragon 88 

to "cream" it 217 

to keep 44 

to make quickly 143 

to salt. 143, 144 

washing easily 143 

why eaten with bread.. 155 

Butterine 144 

Buttermilk for invalids. .361 

uses of. 143 

Butternuts, pickled 338 

Butter scotch .291 

Butyric acid, in butter. . .143 

Cabbage 160 

baked 160 

boiled 161 

canning of 330 

composition of 155 

fried 161 

origin of 161 

pickled 334, 340 

salad 151 

soup 56 

to keep 39 

with milk 161 

Cabbage worms ...513 

Cake 234to264 

almonds for 235 

baked in paper 237 

baking powder for 236 

beating and stirring 237 

butter for 234 

cake pans for 237 

citron for 235 

cocoanutfor 235 

cooking in high alti- 
tudes 240 

cream of tartar in. .235, 236 

crystalization for 260 

currants for 235 

dates for 235 

eggs for 234 

extracts for 239, 240 

fillings for 241,242 

flour for .234 

frosting for 255 to 260 

fruit for 235 

how to mix 236 

icingfor 255to260 

lemon peel for 240 

materials for 234 

measuring for 234 

milk for 235 

molasses for 234 

orange peel for 240 

oven and baking 237 

raisins for 235 

soda in 235, 236 

spices for 235 

tins, cleaning of 422 

to keep 47 

Cakes, layer 240 to 247 

1,2, 3, cake 245 



Page. 

Cakes, layer, agnes 242 

almond 242 

apple jelly 242 

beaten cream 243 

cheap cream 243 

chocolate 242,243 

chocolate caramel 243 

cocoanut 243, 247 

cream 243 

cream puffs 244 

custard 244 

Denver 244 

economical 244 

fig 244 

iron uois 244 

jelly 244,245 

minnehaha 246 

Neapolitan , 246 

nut 246 

orange 246 

oriental 245 

peach 246 

polonaise 246 

ribbon 246,247 

rolled jelly 245 

sour cream 244 

strawberry 247 

vanity 247 

white 247 

Cakes, loaf 247 to 255 

almond 247 

angel's food 247 

apple. 248 

Bangor 248 

berwick sponge 253 

black 248 

bread 248 

buttermilk 248 

cameron 248 

Canada 248 

carson 248 

chocolate 248 

chocolate marble 251 

cider 249 

citron 249 

clove ...248 

cocoanut sponge 253 

coffee 249 

cold water 249 

corn-starch 249 

corn-starch sponge 253 

cream 249 

cream sponge 253 

delicate 249 

dough 249 

dried apple 248 

election cake 250 

feather 250 

fountain 249 

freeman ..250 

French 250 

fruit 250 

ginger 254 

gingerbread 254, 255 

tout 250 

graham 250 

groom's 254 

hasty 251 

hickory-nut 251 

ice cream 251 

imperial 251 

lady's 251 

lemon 251 

marble 251 

molasses. 251 

mountain 252 

Newport 252 

one-egg 251 

orange 252 

plum 252 

poor man's 252 

pork 253 



Page. 

Cakes, loaf, pound 252 

quick 252 

raised 263 

raisin 252 

silver 252 

snow. 252 

spice 253 

sponge 252,253 

steamed fruit 250 

Tolman 253 

Troy 253 

wedding 253 

white 253, 254 

white fruit 250 

white perfection 254 

whortleberry 254 

Cakes, small 260 to 264 

Calcimine 479,480 

Calf's drains 112 

Calf's foot jelly 273 

Calf's liver 112 

Calorie, what it is 19 

Calorimeter, the 19 

Canada cake 248 

Candles 466 

Candlesticks, to clean 466 

Candy making 284 to 294 

boiling the sugar 285 

colors for 256 

coloring it 284 

"degrees" in boiling 

sugar 285 

flavoring it 284 

fondantfor 286 

fork for dipping 287 

greasing the syrup 285 

keeping it 286 

materials for 284 

melting fondant 287 

pulling of 284 

testing the syrup 286 

Candies, almond creams. 287 

balls .287 

bonbons 289 

butternut balls 293 

butterscotch. 291 

chocolate caramels 291 

chocolate creams. ..287, 289 

cocoanut creams 288, 290 

corn-cake..-. 293 

cough 291 

cream f or . 286, 288, 289 

cream coated fruits — 288 

cream nut 289 

cream walnuts . 289 

crystalized cherries ...293 

crystalized fruit 294 

crystalized nut meats. 

293,294 

crystalized popcorn 293 

currant drops 292 

everton taffy 291 

fig 293 

French 286 

French chocolates 292 

frosted fruits 294 

fruit creams 288 

ginger drops 392 

glaces 290 

hoarhound 292 

honey , 293 

iced fruit 294 

lemon creams. 287 

lemon drops . 292 

lemon taffy 290 

lozenges 289 

maple caramels 292 

maple sugar creams 288 

marsh-mallows 290 

molasses. 291 

molasses 'taffy 290 

nougat 390 



532 



INDEX 



Page. 

Candies, nut caramels .... 292 

orange creams 287 

orange drops 292 

orange peel 294 

Patties 288 

peanut... *»? 

peanut molasses 291 

peppermint drops 292 

popcorn balls 293 

raspberry creams 288 

raspberry drops . . 292 

ratafias 293 

rose drops • — 292 

strawberry caramels . . .292 

strawberry creams 288 

strawberry drops 292 

sugar drops 292 

sweet flag ■ •«»! 

uncooked cream.... 288, 289 

uncooked fondant 288 

vanilla caramels 292 

vanilla taffy 290 

walnut creams 287 

walnut molasses ^91 

wintergreen drops 292 

white 293 

Cannelons 233 

Canned fruits, to im- 
prove — 27b 

Canned goods, adultera- 
tion of 404 

Canning 326 to 332 

breaking jars in 32b 

cold process for 331 

effect of tin cans 327 

food value of. canned 

goods 327 

keeping canned goods.. 327 

origin of — -326 

paring fruit for 327 

principles involved in.. 326 
salicylic acid for — 327 
softening hard fruits. ..327 

sulphurous acid for 327 

using sugar for 327 

utensils for 326 

vegetables for 327 

without syrup 331 

Canning apples 327 

apricots 328, 331 

asparagus 329 

beans ....329 

beans with acid 330 

beets 330 

blackberries 328 

berries 327 

cabbage ...330 

carrots 330 

cherries 329,331 

corn 329 

corn beef -. ..332 

currants 328, 331, 332 

damsons 328 

dewberries 328 

elderberries 328 

fruit juices 330 

grapes 328,331 

gooseberries 328, 331 

greengages 328 

huckleberries 328 

meat 332 

mince meat 332 

nectarines 329 

peaches 329,331 

pears 328 

peas 329 

peas with acid 330 

pineapples 329, 331 

plums 328,329,331 

pumpkin 330 

quinces 328 

raspberries 328 



Page. 
Canning, rhubarb.... 328, 331 

sausage meat 332 

strawberries.... 328, 329, 332 

succatash 330 

tomatoes 330 

tongue ...332 

Capers, adulteration of.. 88 

mock 88 

nature of, etc 88 

sauce 88 

vinegar 94 

Capsicum vinegar 94 

Cantelope, pickled 340 

preserves 325 

to serve 298 

Caramel 16,65,183 

coffee 351 

prepared 257 

syrup 225 

Carafes, to clean 462 

Caraway, its nature, etc.. 34 

Carbohydrates, the 16 

Carbolic acid 438 

Carbonada 399 

Carbonates, the 18 

Carbonic acid gas in wells.427 
Cards, to clean playing.. 485 

Carmine color 256 

Carpets 445 to 448 

a cheap, to make 449 

acid on 447 

grease on 446 

gum on 447 

injured colors 447 

ink on 446 

insects in 447 

laying of 447 

oil on 447 

paint on 447 

soot on 446 

stair 447 

sugar on. .447 

to beat 445 

to clean 445,446 

to sweep 445 

varnish on 447 

■wax on 447 

whitewash on 447 

Carpet beetle 513 

Carrots, boiled 161 

canning of 330 

composition of 155, 161 

cooking of 161 

fritters 232 

nutritive value of . . ; . . . 161 

pickled 334 

pie 209 

soup 56 

with cream 161 

Casein 15,142,145 

Cashmere, to clean 527 

Casks, to clean ..490 

Cassava 224 

Cassia 34 

Caterpillars 513 

Catfish 72 

Catsups 342 to 344 

mold in 342 

to keep 342 

Catsup, apple 343 

cherry 343 

crab apple 343 

cucumber 343 

currant 343 

elderberry 343 

grape 343 

gooseberry 343 

lemon 343 

mushroom 343 

oyster 343 

pepper 344 

tomato 344 



Page. 

Catsup, walnut 344 

Cauliflower, baked 162 

boiled 162 

buying 31 

composition of 162 

origin, etc 162 

Pickled 334, 340 

sauce 88 

to keep 39 

Cayenne pepper, adulter- 
ation of 404 

Cayenne vinegar 93 

Celeriac 162 

Celery, baked 162 

buying 31 

extract of 239 

fried 162 

origin, etc 162 

pickled 334 

salad 151 

sauce 88 

soup 56, 57 

to fringe 149 

to keep 39 

vinegar 94 

Celery-seed vinegar 94 

Cellars, care of 424,425 

Celluloid 456 

Cements 504 to 506 

acid proof 606 

an extra 504 

aquarium 504 

colored glass 505 

.diamond. 506 

fireproof 606 

for bone 506 

for china 505 

for crockery 505 

for glass 504, 505 

for knife handles 421 

for ivory 506 

for leather 505 

for marble 505 

for meerschaum 506 

for metal 504 

for mother of pearl 506 

for plaster of paris 505 

for porcelain 505 

for rubber 505 

for stone 605 

for stoneware 505 

forstoves 606 

for walls 506 

for wood 505 

general utility .604 

Japanese 506 

rice 506 

to resist petroleum 506 

waterproof 506 

Cerkestal 400 

Charlotte russe 270, 273 

Chair seats 450 

Chamois skin, to wash .. .487 . 

Charcoal 438,510 

Chemical heater 477 

Cheese 145 to 148 

boiled 146 

buying of 31 

composition of 142 

cottage 146 

cream 146 

Devonshire.- 146 

fondue.. 147 

fritters 147 

fruit 315 

home scallop 147 

Italian curds 147 

mites in 45 

nutritive value of 145 

Parmesan 146 

polpetti 147 

potted 147 



INDEX 



533 



Page. 

Cheese, rennet for 145 

sandwiches 202 

serving 146 

smear case. 147 

straws 148 

to keep 45 

with macaroni 147, 166 

with potatoes 171 

with rice. 174 

with toast 148 

Welsh rarebit 148 

Cherries, canning of .329, 331 

Cherry acid 353 

catsup 343 

cheese 315 

composition of 295, 297 

cream 288 

creamed 289 

cry stalized 293, 294 

drying of 302 

dumplings 225 

extract of. 239 

jam 317 

jelly 312 

origin, etc 297 

pickled 334,340 

pie 209 

preserves 319 

pudding 219 

spiced 342 

syrup 357 

to keep 42 

to serve 297 

vinegar 345 

Cherry laurel 41 

Chestnut sauce 88 

stuffing for poultry 122 

Chicken, boiled 122 

cheese ; 122 

composition of 104 

croquettes 134 

escaloped 122 

fricassee 122 

German way 395 

loaf .. 122 

and oysters... 123 

patties 123 

pie 123 

pie, gases in 123 

pressed , 123 

and rice 123 

salad i 151 

soup 61 

shortcake 124 

supreme 124 

tart .....124 

to buy 29 

and tomatoes 124 

Chicory 151,352 

Chillies 35 

sauce 339 

vinegar 94 

Chimneys, hints about.. .477 
China ware, to clean . . . .462 

Chine of pork 118, 119 

Chinille, to clean 628 

Chintz on furniture 450 

to wash 527 

Chive, the 60 

Chloride of lime 425,449 

Chloroform 499 

Choca 353 

Chocolate 352, 353 

cake 242, 243 

creams .269 

custard 267 

for invalids 363 

mold.. 396 

pie 209 

pudding 219 

stains from 500 

Choke damp, in wells 427 



Page. 

Chow chow 339 

Chromos, to clean, etc 481 

Chyle, the 13 

Chyme, the 12 

Ciscerns, hints about.427, 428 

Cider 356 

jelly 273 

to keep 47 

vinegar 345 

Cinnamon, adulteration 

of 406 

cookies.. 261 

its origin, etc 34 

Citricacid 18,499 

Citron, dried 302 

for cake 235 

origin, etc 302 

pickled 341 

preserves ..319,320 

Citronelle extract 239 

Clams, au gratin 77 

chowder 64, 77 

escaloped 77 

fritters 232 

soup 65 

stewed 77 

on toast 77 

when in season 77 

Cleaning compounds 504 

Clinkers in stoves 475 

Clothes lines 520 

pins 520 

washing of 517 

wringers 519 

Clothing 492 to 498 

burning 493 

care of 492 

creases in 493 

fireproof 493 

men's 493 

putting away 492 

to disinfect 441 

wet , 492 

Cloth, waterproof 494 

Clover vinegar 345 

Cloves, adulteration of . . 406 

their origin, etc 34 

Coat collars, to clean — 528 

Cobler, apple 212 

peach 212 

Coca 352 

Cochineal coloring 256 

Cockroaches. . . . 513 

Cocoa, adulteration of... .403 

origin, etc 352 

to make, etc 352 

Cocoanut beverage. . . 353 

composition of 295, 297 

cookies 261 

custard 267 

origin, etc 297 

jumbles 262 

pie 209 

preparing for cake 235 

to buy 33 

to serve 297 

Cocus 326 

Codfish, balls 72 

escaloped 72 

toast 72 

gruel 367 

tobuy . 30 

Coffee 348to352 

adulteration of 403 

amount to use 350 

boiled 350 

buying 32 

cafe aulait 351 

cafenoir 351 

caramel 351 

corn 351 

cream , 369 



Page. 
Coffee, essentials in m'k'g350 

filtered 350 

for invalids 362 

French... 350 

grinding of 349 

iced. 351 

jelly 273 

mixingof 352 

origin, etc 351 

roasting of 348, 351 

stains from 600 

steamed 350 

substitutes for 351 

the coffee pot 349 

tokeep 46 

Vienna 351 

Coins, to clean 468 

Colcannon 162 

Coldslaw 151 

Collops, Scotch 135 

Colors for frostings, etc.. 256 

injured, to restore 498 

setting of.... 528 

Composition of Food, 14, 
66, 104, 136, 142, 165, 179, 295 

Compotes, how made 307 

syrup for... 308 

of apples 308 

of bananas 308 

of figs , 308 

of gooseberries 308 

of orange 308 

ofpeaches 308 

of pears 308 

Condensed milk 276 

Condiments... 91 

Condy's fluid.....' 439 

Confectionery, adultera- 
tion of 406 

Consomme 61 

Consumption, food for... 363 

Cookies, Boston tea 261 

cinnamon 261 

cocoanut 261 

cream 261 

ginger 261 

hermit 261 

hickory-nut 263 

icingfor 258 

molasses 261 

orange 262 

Eockford 263 

vanilla 262 

Cooking, object of 22 

in high altitudes 240 

Copper, to bronze 468 

toclean 468 

sulphate of 439 

vessels 417 

Copperas, green 440 

Coral 474 

Coriander seeds 35 

Corks, hints about 464 

Corn, cutting from cob . . .163 

baked 163 

boiled 162 

buying 31 

cake, Florida 193 

canning of 329 

chowder 163 

coffee 351 

composition of 156 

dodgers 194 

dried 163 

escaloped 163 

flour, to boil 98 

fried 163 

fritters 233 

green, to cook 156 

pickled 334 

pone 193 

pudding .....163,219 



534 



INDEX 



Page. 

Corn, origin, etc 164 

oysters 163 

souffle 163 

soup 57 

stewed 163 

succotash 163 

vinegar 345 

Corn beef, canning of ....332 

pickle for 411 

spiced 412 

Corn bread ... 188 

Cornices, gilt, to cleans... 486 

Cornmeal, buying 32 

composition of 179 

for invalids 362 

mixing with flour 182 

Corn-starch, blanc m'ge..266 
necessity of cooking — 219 

nutritive value of 219 

pie 209 

pudding 219 

Corrosive sublimate 439 

Cotton-seed oil . . .100, 144, 149 

Court bouillon 394 

Crabs, browned 78 

buying 30 

deviled 78 

escaloped 78 

kromeskiesof 78 

salad 151 

soft shell 78 

fried soft shell 78 

Crab-apple, catsup 343 

jelly 312 

marmalade 314 

pickles 339 

preserves 319 

Cracked wheat, buying.. 32 

cooking of 199 

Crackers, composition of.179 

corn-starch 192 

gruel 367 

panada 368 

plain 192 

graham 192 

Cranberry, its nature, etc 42 

jelly 312 

preserves 320 

sauce 88,305 

shortcake 215 

tarts 214 

to keep 42 

Cranes, to cook 127 

Crape, to clean, etc 527 

Cray-fish, curried 79 

potted 79 

Cream, butter 276 

chocolate 269 

coffee 269 

double 276 

for invalids 361 

Hamburg 269 

mock 269 

orange 274 

peach 274 

pie 209 

pineapple 274 

pink 269 

rice 269, 275 

Russian.... 275 

single 276 

Spanish.. 275 

sour, to restore 265 

substitute for 226 

tapioca 269 

tapioca nut 269 

thickened 269 

vanilla 275 

velvet 275 

whipped 269 

Cream of tartar, adulter- 
ation pf , 403 



Page. 
Cream of tartar, how 

made, etc 236 

Creases in clothing 493 

Cress vinegar 94 

Crickets 514 

Croccante 398 

Crockery, to clean 464 

Croquettes 131, 133 to 135 

to make 133 

baked 133 

brain 133 

chicken 133 

chicken and oyster 134 

fish 134 

hominy 134 

kromeskies 134 

lobster 134 

oyster 134 

potato 134 

rice 134 

rice and chicken 134 

sweetbread 114 

veal 134 

Croutons 54 

Cruets, to clean 463 

Crullers 230 

Crumpets, English 195 

graham 195 

Cucumbers, boiled 161 

composition of 155 

fried 164 

origin, etc 164 

raw 164 

stewed , 164 

Cups, to clean browned . . 462 

Curacoa 239 

Curd 142, 145 

Currants, canning of .328, 332 

catsup : 343 

composition of 295, 297 

crystalized 294 

dried 302 

jam 317 

origin, etc 297 

nutritive value of 235 

paste 316 

pickled 340 

pie 210 

preparing for cake 235 

preserves 319,320 

shrub 354 

soy 344 

spiced 342 

syrup 357 

to plump 235 

vinegar 346 

Zante 297 

Curry, powder 93 

sauce 89 

vinegar 94 

Curtains, to wash.526, 527, 528 

Custards 265, 266 to 268 

almond 267 

apple. 267 

arrow-root 267 

banana 267 

Bengal 267 

boiled 267 

cake 244 

chocolate 267 

cocoanut 267 

float 267 

fruit 267 

lemon 268 

ost kaka 268 

pie 210 

plain 266 

rennet 268 

soft caramel 267 

souffle 268 

steamed 268 

tapioca ,,....,, ....268 



Page. 

Custards, tomato 268 

various 268 

white 268 

Cucumbers, buying 31 

catsup .343 

pickled 334, 335, 340 

salad 152 

salted 335 

sauce 89 

spiced ....335 

soup 57 

to keep 40 

vinegar 94 

Crystalization for cake.. 260 
Cutting up meats . .407 to 411 

Dandelions, buying 31 

cooking of 165 

Damson, the 300 

canning of 328 

jelly 313 

preserves 321 

sauce 306 

Date, cake 249 

composition of 295, 297 

creamed 289 

origin, etc 297 

pie 210 

preparing for cooking . . 235 

sauce ..305 

to serve 297 

Daubing 102 

Death watch, the 514 

Decanters, to clean. .462, 463 

Deodorizers 411 

Desserts 265 to 275 

almond blanc mange. ..272 

apple float 269 

apple kuchen 269 

bananas in jelly 272 

bird's nest 270 

blancmange- 266 

calf's foot jelly 273 

charlotte russe 270,273 

cheap dessert 270 

cider jelly 273 

coffee jelly 273 

creams 269 

custards 266 to 268 

economical 270 

English cream jelly 273 

floating island 270 

French jellies ....270 

fruit puffs :..271 

fruit tapioca 271 

fruit trifle 271 

gelatine preparations 

for 272 

gooseberry cream 273 

jelly of different colors.272 

kiss pudding 271 

layer pudding. 270 

lemon gelatine 273 

lemon jelly 271,273 

quince snow 271 

Macedonian jelly 274 

molded snow 271 

orange cream 274 

orange float 270 

peach cream 274 

pineapple cream 274 

pineapple jelly 274 

prune jelly 274 

puffs 271 

rice cream 275 

Russian cream 275 

Russian jelly 275 

sago with fruit. 271 

Scandinavian rogrod. ..271 

snow pudding 275 

Spanish cream 275 

sponge biscuit 272 

strawberry jelly ,.275 



INDEX 



535 



Page. 

Desserts, turon 271 

vanilla cream 275 

velvet cream 275 

Devonshire cream 146 

Dewberries, canning cf. ..328 

composition of 297 

preserves. — 319 

Dextrin 17, 183,200 

Diagonals, to remove 

shine on 524 

Diamonds, graham 192 

toclean 473 

Dicke milch 395 

Diet, importance of 363 

Dietary, to arrange a 155 

Digestion, processes of . .. 12 

Dishwashing 419 

Disinfectants.. 437 to 441, 510 

Dodgers, corn 194 

Dolmas 400 

Doors 431 

Door handles, to clean.... 431 

Door plates, to clean 469 

Doree 207 

Doughnuts 229,230 

dough for ....229 

fat for frying 229 

coffee 230 

cream 230 

plain 230 

raised 230 

Drains, care of 424 

Drawers, to make draw 

out easy 452 

Dresser, the 418 

Dress mending 495 

Dresses, to clean 418 

Dried apple jelly 312 

for pies 208 

Dried beef ..107,412 

Dried fruit 301 to 303 

Drinks 347 to 358 

Drippings 103 

Drop cake 262 

Drops, almond 260 

anise 260 

ginger 261 

Ducks, buying of 29 

cooking of ; 125 

roast 125 

to kill. 29 

wild 125,127 

Dumplings 217, 224, 225 

cherry 225 

apple 224 

huckleberry 225 

fruit 225 

jam ....225 

steamed 225 

suet, to boil 158 

Duodenum, the 12 

Dusting 434 

Dust, stains from 500 

Dutch pudding sauce 226 

Dyes, stains of 503 

Earthenware, hints 

about 464 

toclean 462 

varnish for 464 

Earwigs ., 514 

Eating, times and man- 
ner of 23 

Ebonized floors 444 

Eels, buying 30 

cookingof 72 

Egg plant, baked 164 

buying 31 

composition of 155 

fried 164 

Eggs 136 to 141 

and bread-crumbing.. . . 103 
beating of .234 



Page. 

Eggs, buying 32 

composition of 136 

decomposition of.. 46 

for invalids 361,364 

object of beating 235 

philosophy of keeping.. 46 

to keep 45 

value of 25,136 

value for children 136 

yolk, for cleaning .499 

anchovied 140 

baked 137 

to boil 98,137 

breakfast 138 

coloring 137 

cold fried 138 

creamed 138 

curried 138 

deviled 138 

dried 46 

dying 137 

drink 365 

dropped, on toast 138 

ducks 265 

escaloped .138 

fried 138 

gem... 138 

gruel 367 

mold 396 

omelets 139 

pickled 336 

poached 140 

poached in gravy 140 

salad .152 

for salads 137 

sauce 89 

scalloped 140 

Scotch 140 

scrambled 140 

shirred 149 

soup 61 

Spanish 140 

steamed 141, 364 

stuffed 141 

toast 141 

vaulting 137 

with ham 140 

with pork 119 

with potatoes 171 

Elderberry, catsup 343 

canning of 328 

spiced 342 

pie 210 

Elder flower vinegar 94 

Elm jelly 367 

Emeralds, to clean 473 

Enamels for shirts 521 

Endive 151 

English, buns 191 

cream jelly 273 

crumpets 195 

pudding 220 

plum pudding 222 

Engravings, hints about.. 

482,483 

Entire wheat, biscuit 190 

bread 186 

nutritive value, etc 186 

muffins 195 

Ermine 497 

Escarole 151 

Eschalot, the 50 

Ether 499 

Exterminators for in- 
sects 515 

Extracts and Flavorings. 

239,240 

almond 239 

allspice 239 

bedf ord flavoring 239 

celery 239 

cherry , 239 



Page. 
Extracts and Flavorings. 

cherry ratafia 239 

citronelle 239 

coffee 239 

curacoa 239 

currant ratafia 240 

lemon 239 

maraschino 239 

noyau 239 

orange 239 

orange flower water 240 

plum 239 

ratafia 239 

rose 240 

rose water 240 

tea flavoring 240 

vanilla 240 

Virginia flavoring 55 

Faded hangings, to re- 
store 528 

Faggots, beef 407 

Farina 199 

blanc mange 266 

pudding 220 

Fat, for frying 100, 229 

how digested 12, 13 

nutritive value, etc.. 17, 18 

temperature of hot 101 

to clarify . . . ' ... 100, 229 

to stop its burning 104 

uses to the system 144 

Feathers, hints about.490,491 

Fenders, rusting of 475 

Fermentation 16, 14.2 

Fetticus 152 

Fever, food for 361 

Fibrin , 15, 95 

Fig, candy 293 

compote of 308 

composition of 295, 298 

creamed 289 

origin, etc 298 

pickled .340 

preserves 320 

sauce 305 

to keep 42 

to serve 297,298 

tomato 320 

Filbert, macaroons 263 

tokeep.etc 42 

Files, to clean 470 

Fillets de vent 394 

offish 67 

Filter, to make a 429 

Fires, hints about 476 

Fire, hand grenades 476 

kindlers 476 

Fireproof solution 477 

Fish 66 to 76 

augratin 71 

anchovies 72 

balls 71 

blue fish 72 

boiling of 68,69,96 

boning of 67 

brooktrout 75 

buying of 29 

cat-fish 72 

chowder 71 

cleaning of 67 

codfish. ... 72 

creamed 72 

cold, redressed :. 76 

composition of 66 

croquettes 134 

eels 72 

escaloped 76 

escaloped codfish 72 

fecundity of 73 

fillets of 67 

fishcakes 76 

fish pie , 76 



536 



INDEX 



Page. 

Fish, to garnish 68, 69, 70 

halibut 73 

how to fry 69 

lake trout 75 

mackerel 73 

muskallonge 75 

nutrimentin 30 

potted 76,111 

remnants of 75 

fish roes 73 

salad 153 

salmon 73 

salt 75 

sardines 74 

sauce for 89 

effect of salting 67 

sauteing 70 

shad.. 74 

to keep 38, 67 

to skin 67 

smelts 74 

spiced 71 

steaming 69 

tostew 71 

stock 52 

stuffing for baked 70 

to thaw when frozen. . . 67 

trout 75 

turbot 75 

value as food 66 

Flannel cakes 198 

Flannels, shrinking of. ..522 

washing of 522 

Flat-irons 521 

Flavored vinegars 93 

Flavorings 239, 240 

Flavoring, Virginia 55 

Flauns 215 

Fleas 514 

Flesh forming foods 15 

Flies 514 

Floating island 270 

Floors and floor coverings 

441 to 449 

Floors, enameled 444 

ebonized 444 

ground, to keep dry — 445 

hall 445 

musty 442 

oiled 444 

painted 445 

polished 443 

stained 444 

tiled 449 

varnished 444 

waxed 443 

wood 441 

Flour, baked 368 

boiled .. 368 

buying 32 

composition of 179 

for invalids 362 

mixing 182 

pastry 183 

prepared .183 

foods, to boil 98 

to brown — 106 

to keep 46 

Fly-paper 514 

Fondant, to make 286 

Fondue 147 

Food and Feeding, sug- 
gestions about 11 

Food, amount of, needed. 19 

composition of 14 

constituents in 1 lb 21 

to keep 47 

Force-meat 54 

Foreign cookery 393 to 401 

English 393 

French 393 

Germ an -. 395 



Page. 
Foreign Cookery, Italian.397 

Jewish 400 

Russian 401 

Spanish 398 

Turkish 400 

Forks, care of 420 

Fowls, drawing of 121 

fried 124 

guinea 125 

minced 125 

ornamenting roast 260 

rechauffe 125 

reheated 125 

steamed 125 

to buy 29 

tokill 29 

to make old tender 124 

to truss 121 

Frangipane 366 

Frappes 282 

Freezing mixtures 426 

French, cake 250 

candies ■ 286 

chocolate 292 

coffee 350 

cookery 393,394 

court bouillon 394 

fillets de vent 394 

macedoin of vegetables.394 

method of polishing 454 

mirotin of veal 394 

polish reviver ....... 453 

ramequins 394 

jellies .270 

loaf cake 250 

orange jelly 274 

pickles.. 338 

rolls ...192 

salad dressing 150 

Fricasseeing 99 

Fried cakes 230 

Fried food, why it dis- 
agrees 18 

Frijoles 399 

Fritters 229 to 233 

batterfor 231 

syrup for 231 

to make 231 

apDle 231 

banana 231 

berry .231 

bread 231 

cake 232 

carrot .232 

clam 232 

cheese 147 

corn 232 

cornmeal 232 

cream 232 

fruit 232 

jam 232 

jelly 232 

lemon .232 

meat 232 

orange 232 

oyster 232 

pork 233 

potato 233 

raw potato 233 

rice 233 

salsify 233 

various kinds 233 

vegetable 233 

Frogs 72 

Frozen meat, to thaw. 37. 104 

Fruits 295 to 308 

canning of 326 to 332 

cheeses 315 

compotes of 307, 308 

cooked 303 to 308 

cream coated 288 

crystalized 294 



Page. 

Fruits, custard 267 

dried 301 to 303 

dried, to cook 302 

dried, to keep 301 

effect of cooking 296 

fresh 296 to 301 

frosted 294 

frozen 281 

glaces of 290 

iced 294 

juices, canning of 330 

juices for invalids 362 

molds 282 

nutritive value of 295 

pastes 315 

pectose in 310 

pies 210 

preserves of 309 to 326 

puffs 271 

salad of 154 

sauces 303 to 308 

serving fresh 296 to 301 

shortcake 215 

stains from 500 

tapioca 271 

time to eat 295 

to dry 301 

to keep 42 

to harden it 318 

to soften hard 327 

trifle ...271 

value of dried 301 

use of sugar in cooking.303 
with johnny cake 193 

Fruit, spiced 341, 342 

apples 342 

blackberries 342 

cherries 342 

currants 342 

elderberries 342 

gooseberries 342 

grapes 342 

peaches 342 

pears 342 

tomatoes 342 

Fruit trees, insects on . . . 516 

Frosting for cake . .255 to 260 

to make 255 

to whiten 256 

almond 257 

boiled — ... 257 

boiled chocolate 257 

chocolate 257 

colors for 256 

easily made 257 

gelatine 257 

isinglass 258 

maple syrup 258 

milk 258 

ornamental 258, 259 

plain 257 

raisin 258 

soft 258 

Frying 99 

basket 100 

pans, cleaning of .. .421, 422 
philosophy of 101 

Fuel, degrees of heat 
from ; 8 

Furnace pipes 476 

Fur, hints about 497, 498 

to remove from kettles.421 

Furniture 449 to 453 

bruises in 452 

buying of .449 

care of 450 

chintz on 450 

chips broken from 452 

dark stains on 451 

ebonized 451 

finger marks on 451 

filling for .....452 



INDEX 



537 



Pagk. 
Furniture, hair cloth on.. 450 

ink on 452 

insects in 452 

mahogany 451 

moths in 450 

oiled walnut 451 

polishesfor 453 

scratched 450,452 

to restore dull 450 

upholstered 450 

white spots on 450 

willow 451 

worm eaten 452 

Galvanized iron articles. 471 

Game 127 to 130 

buying.... 28, 29 

digestibility of 127 

dressing of 127 

garnishes for 127 

overcoming wild flavor 

of 127 

tainted, to restore 127 

old.tocook 127 

bear 130 

blackbirds 127 

buffalo 130 

cranes 127 

ducks 127 

grouse 128 

herons 127 

opossums 130 

partridges ■ ...128 

pigeons 128 

plover 128 

prairie chickens 129 

quail 129 

rabbits 129 

raccoons 130 

small birds 129 

snipe 129 

squabs 128 

squirrels - 130 

goose, stuffing for roast.125 

tainted, to restore 37 

to keep 37 

to ship 37 

venison 130 

woodchucks 130 

woodcock 129 

Garbage pail or barrel . . .426 

Garlic 50 

butter 88 

vinegar 94 

Gas fixtures 469 

Gases in meat pies 123 

Gastric juice, action of. . . 12 

Geese, to buy 29 

to cook 127 

to kill 29 

Gelatine 15,49, 95 

nutritive value of 272 

preparations 272 to 275 

to prepare 272 

stains of 501 

Gelatinoids, the 15 

Gems, graham 194 

wheat 194 

German cookery ... 395 to 397 

bretzeln 295 

chickens, to cook 395 

chocolate molds 396 

dicke milch 395 

egg mold .396 

frothed milk ....396 

grutze 396 

gulasch 396 

knodeln 396 

koche 396 

neun-loth pudding 396 

nudels 396 

potato mold 396 

sauerbraten 397 

33 



Page. 
German cookery. 

sticklerspersgrod 397 

German silver 469 

Ghee 144 

Gherkins, pickled 336 

Giblets 124 

gravy 126 

Gilding, for pastry 207 

on silk, etc 510 

Gilt mountings 469 

Ginger, adulteration of ..406 

beverage 354 

biscuits 262 

cookies 261 

drops 261 

its origin, etc 35 

nuts 261 

pop 366 

preserves 320, 321 

sherbet 283 

snaps ..262 

vinegar 94 

Gingerbread 254, 255 

icing for 258 

mixing, etc 238 

hard 254 

hot water 254 

ormskirk 255 

raisin 255 

rich soft 254 

spice 255 

soft 255 

sour cream ,.255 

sour milk. 255 

sugar 255 

Ginghams, to wash 526 

Glaces 290 

Glaire, to make 487 

Glass, imitation ground.. 463 

ink for 509 

to cut 464 

to frost it 463 

to pulverize 464 

stains on 462 

stoppers, to remove ... 464 

Glassware, to anneal 462 

washing of 420,462 

Glazing 102 

Gliadin 179 

Globes, glass, to clean 463 

Gloves, hints about 495 

Glucose 16 

Glues 506, 507 

stains of 501 

Gluten 32 

composition of 179 

Gnats 614 

Gniocchi of semolina. .... 398 

Goat'smilk, 366 

artificial 366 

Goatskin, to clean 448 

Gold, to clean ..469 

mercury on 471 

lace, to clean 469 

embroidery, to clean... 528 

Goose, cooking of 126 

Gooseberry 211 

canning of 328,331 

catsup 343 

cheese 315 

composition of 295, 298 

compote of 308 

cream 273 

dried 302 

fool 306 

jam 317 

jelly 312 

preserves 321 

pudding 220 

shrub 354 

spiced 342 

soy 344 



Page. 

Gooseberry, tarts 214 

to serve 298 

trifle 306 

vinegar 346 

Gout, food for 363 

Graham, biscuit 190 

bread 188 

crackers 192 

crumpets 195 

diamonds 192 

flour, to buy, etc 33 

gems 194 

loaf cake .250 

pudding 220 

rolls 192 

Granites 282 

Granite ware, cleaning of .421 

Granula 200 

Grapes, canning of ...328, 331 

catsup 343 

composition of 295, 298 

crystalized 294 

jam 317 

jelly 313 

juice and almonds 354 

marmalade 314 

origin of , etc 298 

pickled 340 

pie 211 

preserves 321 

soy 344 

spiced 342 

to keep - 42 

to serve 298 

Grass, stains from .600 

Grates, rusting of 475 

Gravy, how to make 105 

stains from 500 

Grease, stains from.. 500, 501 

Grebe feathers 491 

Greeks, the cookery of . . . 10 

Grenadine, to clean 627 

Greens.. 165 

beet 160 

Greengages 300 

nature of 300 

preserves 321 

Griddle cakes 196 to 198 

apple 196 

buckwheat 197 

cornmeal 197 

flannel 198 

graham 197 

oatmeal 197 

pease 197 

raised 197 

rice 197 

squash 197 

stale bread 197 

strawberries with 197 

syrup for 196 

the griddle 196 

to keep batter sweet 196 

Griddle, for cakes. .196 

Griddles, soap stone 422 

Grilling 95 

Grindstones 459 

Griskin 119 

Groceries, buying of 31 

to keep 44 

Groats 33 

Ground cherry, the 209 

Grouse, to cook 128 

Gruels 367 

Grutze..... 396 

Gulasch 396 

Gum 17 

stains of 601 

Gumbo soup 57 

Guinea fowls 125 

Guns, to clean 470 

Hair, curled, to clean. . . .491 



538 



INDEX 



Page. 

Hair on furniture 460 

Halibut, pickled .-. 73 

steaks. 73 

Ham, baked 118 

balls 118 

boiled 118 

broiled 118 

buying 28 

composition of 104 

and veal pie 113 

salad 152 

ornamenting 260 

to cure 410,411 

Westphalian 411 

with eggs 140 

Hamburg beef 412 

cream 269 

steak 110 

Hares, to buy 29 

to cook 127,129 

Harvest bugs 514 

Hash 131 to 132 

Hasty pudding 200 

Hats, hints about 496, 497 

Headcheese. 120 

Heat for disinfecting 438 

Hectograph, substitute . . 510 

Herbs, buying 31 

todry 41 

Herons, to cook 127 

Hickory-nut cake 251 

cookies 262 

jumbles 262 

pie 211 

Hinges, to stop creaking. 431 

Hoe cake 193 

Hominy 32,199 

croquettes 134 

to buy 33 

Honey, adulteration of ..406 

artificial, to make 358 

candy 293 

to keep 46 

vinegar 346 

Horn, buttons 456 

Horn, hints about 456 

substitute for 455 

to weld 506 

Horseradish, adultera- 
tion of 406 

butter 88 

origin, etc 90 

sauce 89, 90 

to keep 40 

vinegar 94 

House cleaning 432 

Housewife's aim, the 24 

Huckleberry, the 297 

canning of 328 

composition of 297 

dumplings t . ..225 

pie 211 

preserves 321 

Hulled corn 200 

Hydrochloric acid 499 

Ice cream 276 to 282 

arrow-root for 276 

canned fruits for 276 

coloring for 278 

condensed milk for 276 

cream for 276 

flavoring 276 

freezing 276,277 

gelatine for 276, 280 

ice for 276 

lemon juice for 276 

molds for 277 

of 2 colors 278 

orange juice for 276 

packing down 277 

principles involved in 
making 277 



Page. 

Ice cream, salt for. 276 

simple syrup for 278 

sugar for 276 

Ice creams, almond 279 

baked apple 280 

bisque 280 

brown bread 280 

caramel 280 

chocolate 280 

coffee 280 

fruit 280 

lemon „ 280 

macedoines 281 

macaroon 280 

mousse 281 

Neapolitan 279 

nut 280 

orange 281 

Philadelphia 278 

pineapple 281 

pistachio 281 

tea 280 

tutti frutti 281 

vanilla 281 

Ice, for the sickroom 363 

hints about 426 

Ice house, the. 425 

Ice water, to keep it 426 

Icing, for cake 255 to 260 

boiled 258 

coffee 258 

cookies, etc 258 

orange 258 

ornamental 258 

paper cones for 268 

Iceland moss, cooking of .368 

origin, etc ^....368 

Imperial granum 200 

Inks 508,509 

Ink, stains of 601, 502 

restore obliterated., 485, 509 

Insect pests 512 to 616 

on trees, etc 514, 616 

Intoxicating liquors 11 

Invalid cookery . . .359 to 368 

appetite of invalids 363 

apple water 365 

arrowroot.. 366 

arrowroot blanc mange.368 

asses' milk 366 

asses' milk, artificial.... 366 

barley water 365 

beef tea 365 

beef tea, value of 361 

boiled flour 368 

broiled beef juice 364 

broth, value of 361 

buttermilk for invalids.361 

chicken broth 364 

chocolate, value of 362 

coffee, value of 362 

cracker panada 368 

cream for invalids 361 

delicate dish for in- 
valids 368 

diet 363 

egg and lemon juice .... 365 

egg and limewater 365 

egg drink 365 

eggs for invalids . . . .361, 364 

eggs, steamed 364 

elm jelly 367 

essence of meat 364 

fever, milk for 361 

flaxseed tea 366 

food for disordered 

stomach 361 

frangipane .....366 

goat's milk 366 

goat's milk, artificial... 366 

gruels 367 

not lemonade 365 



Page. 
Invalid cookery, Iceland 

moss 368 

Irish moss 368 

licorice tea 365 

lime water 366 

linseed tea 366 

meat patty 364 

milk porridge ..367 

milk soup 364 

milk toast. 368 

mutton broth.... 364 

mutton tea 365 

oatmeal jelly 367 

raw beef sandwiches.. . . 364 

rennet whey 365 

restorative jelly 367 

rice and milk 366 

rice blanc mange 368 

rice jelly 367 

rice water 365 

sago blanc mange 368 

Salisbury steaks 110 

sippets 368 

slippery elm tea 366 

steak, broiled 364 

stewed beef essence . . 364 

suetand milk. 366 

Swisscream 366 

taganrok blanc mange.368 
tapioca blanc mange. . .368 

tapioca jelly 367 

tea, value of 362 

toasted mutton 364 

toast, value of 362 

toastwater 365 

veal tea 365 

vegetables for invalids.362 

whey for invalids 361 

winejelly 368 

wine whey 366 

Irish moss , 368 

blanc mange 266 

Irish stew 116 

Iron and steel 469 

Iron, in food. 18 

sulphateof 440 

to keep from rust 470 

to remove paint from.. 470 

Ironing clothes 621 

Iron mold, stains of 502 

Isinglass 272 

adulteration of 406 

Italian cookery 397, 398 

bracciolette 398 

croccante 398 

curds 1*7 

gniocchi 398 

minestra 398 

minestrone. 397 

polenta with gravy 398 

ricotta 398 

risotto 398 

Ivorine 456 

Ivory, artificial 465 

hints about 455 

Jamaica pepper, origin.. 34 

Jams 316to318 

candying of., 310 

coloring for 310 

fruit for 309 

keeping of 46, 310 

putting in glasses 310 

sugar for 309 

to test 314 

utensils for 309 

Jam, apple 317 

barberry 317 

blackberry 317 

cherry 317 

currant 317 

gooseberry 317 

grape 317 



INDEX 



539 



Pack. 

Jam, orange 317 

pineapple 317 

plum 317 

quince 317 

raspberry 317 

rhubarb 317 

shortcake 215 

strawberry 318 

tomato 318 

Japan for old trays 456 

Japanned ware 456 

Jasper 457 

Javelle water 510 

Jellies 309to313 

bags for 311 

beverages 354 

coloring for 310 

composition of 310 

fruit for 309 

hardening of 311 

keeping of ... 310 

preventing mold in. 310 
principles involved in 

making 310 

removing from glasses. 311 

sugar for 309 

to make. 311 

to test 311 

utensils for making — 309 

Jelly, apple 312 

blackberry ....312 

crab apple 312 

cranberry -. 312 

cherry 312 

dried apple 312 

damson. 313 

elm 367 

grape 313 

gooseberry 312 

green grape 313 

peach 313 

pear 313 

pie 211 

plum and apple 312 

quince 313 

raspberry 312 

red currant 312 

restorative 367 

rhubarb 313 

strawberry 312 

tutti frutti 313 

various kinds 312 

wild plum 313 

wine 368 

Jet jewelry, to mend 473 

Jewelry, care of 473 

Jewish cookery 400 

amnastich 400 

matso cakes 400 

passo ver pudding 400 

Johnny cake ..192, 193 

Jolly boys 230 

Jumbles.. 262 

Keeping provisions 36 

Kerosene, using for fires. 476 

for washing 517 

Kettles, care of 421 to 423 

Kid, tocook 117 

Kiss pudding 271 

Kisses 263 

Kitchen, the... 416 

Kneading 180 

Knives, hints about.. 420, 421 
to clean fish odor from. 67 
Knife handles, cement 

for 421 

Knodeln 396 

Koche 396 

Kouftas 135 

Koumiss 354 

Kromeskies 134 

Labarraque's solution... 439 



Page. 

Labels, to fasten to metal.507 
Laces, to clean, etc... 525, 526 

Lacquers 467, 468, 472 

Lactolene 142 

Lactose 16 

Lady fingers 263 

Lamb, buying of 27 

cooking of 115 to 117 

composition of 104 

cutting it up 408 

escaloped 116 

grilled 117 

liver, curried 117 

pie 116 

to keep 37 

with rice 115 

Lamb's lettuce 152 

Lamps, care of 465, 466 

substitute for 466 

Lard, adulteration of 406 

to bleach 414 

tobuy 33 

to keep 46,414 

to make 414 

Larder, the 36 

Larding .102 

Lardoons 102 

Larnande's mixture . . 440 

Laundry.the 517to628 

a useful hint 522 

bed ticks 628 

bleaching 520,628 

bluings .. 519 

bombazine 627 

cashmere ....627 

chamois skin 524 

chenille 528 

chintz , |27 

clotheslines 620 

clothes pins 620 

coat collars 628 

crape 627 

curtains ..526, 527, 528 

drying clothes 619 

enamels.. 521 

faded hangings 628 

flannels 522 

flat-irons 521 

folding clothes 520 

ginghams 526 

gold embroidery 628 

grenadine 627 

heightof tubs 518 

infant's clothing 522 

ironing 621 

kerosene, for washing.. 617 

laces ■625,626 

linen 524 

muslins 627 

nankeen 627 

plush 527 

potato water • ••••f 3 £ 

prints 526 

rinsing 619 

sarcinets 526 

satin 524,526 

satines 626 

scorches 622 

setting colors 528 

silks.. 523 

silver embroidery 528 

soaking clothes 618 

soaps 518 

soap bark 519 

starching 520, 521 

stockings. .....522 

turpentine, use of 518 

veils 526 

velveteens 527 

velvets 527 

washing clothes 517 

washing fluids £18 



. Page. 

Laundry, washing powd- 

GTS . 51 8 

woolen goods .".*.'.... 524, 525 

wringers 519 

Lawns, to kill worms in . . 432 

Lead, chloride of 440 

Leather, acids on 487 

enameled 487 

hints about 486 to 489 

ink for 509 

mildew on 487 

moldy 487 

patent 487 

to clean buff 487 

to clean morocco 487 

to make vermin proof ..487 
to make waterproof ...487 

to soften 488 

to restore color to 488 

to tan small skins .487 

Leek, the 50 

Legumen 15 

Lemonade 354,365 

Lemon beer 356 

butter 306 

cake 251 

catsup 343 

custard 268 

extract 239 

fritters 232 

jelly 271,273,306 

juice, to extract 276 

juice, to keep 43 

paste. . 316 

peel, to grate 240 

pickled 336 

pie 211 

preserves 321, 322 

pudding 221 

origin of , etc 43 

salad 152 

sauce 90 

sherbet 283 

snaps 263 

syrup 357 

tarts 214 

to keep 43 

vinegar. 94 

Lettuce, buying 31 

for salads 149 

sandwiches 202 

salad 152 

Lice 514 

Lightning eradicator 604 

Lightningrods 432 

Lights, the .407 

Lime, chloride of... 438 

for children 363 

in food 18 

stains of 502 

water 365,611 

Limes, pickled 336 

preserved 322 

Linen, to wash, etc 524 

Linoleum 449 

Liver 108, 117 

Lobsters 79, 80 

au gratin 79 

boiled 79 

broiled 79 

butter 53 

buttered 79 

buying 30 

canapes 79 

coral 79 

creamed 80 

croquettes... 134 

curry 80 

deviled 80 

patties 80 

sauce 90 

sandwiches. •• 303 



540 



INDEX 



Page. 

Lobsters, salad 152 

stewed 80 

to kill 79 

Locks, to make them 

work 431 

Lozenges 289 

Lubricator, to make 510 

Lye, stains of 602 

Macaroni and milk 366 

baked 166 

for invalids 362 

fried 166 

how made 166 

mites in 46 

to boil 98 

to buy 33 

with cheese 147,166 

with milk sauce 166 

with tomatoes 177 

Macaroons. 263 

Mace 35 

Macedoines.. 281 

Macedoin of vegetables.. 394 

Macedonian jelly 274 

Mackerel, buying 30 

creamed salt 73 

Mackintoshes, care of .... 460 
Mahogany, hints about.. 451 

Majolica, to clean 462 

Malic acid 18 

Maltine 362 

Maltose 183 

Mandram sauce . 90 

Mangoe pickles 336, 337 

Maple sugar, cakes 263 

to keep 46 

Maple syrup, substitute 

for. 196 

Maraschino.. 239 

Marble, hints about.457 to 459 

Margaiin 144 

Marinate, to 149 

Marjoram 41 

Marketing 25 to 35 

Marmalades . . 309, 313 to 315 

candying of 310 

keeping of. 310 

meaning of 313 

putting in jars 310 

totest.. 314 

wholesomeness of 314 

apple 314 

apricot. 314 

blackberry , 315 

grape 314 

orange 314 

peach 314 

pear 314 

plum 314 

quince 314 

raspberry 315 

rhubarb 315 

strawberry 315 

tomato 315 

Marsh-mallows 290 

Marty nias, pickled.. 336 

Matches, hints about 466 

Mate.. 353 

Mats 448 

Matso cakes 400 

Mattings, care of 449 

Mayonnaise 150 

Mead 355 

Meal, mites in 46 

Meats 95 to 129 

action of hard water on.104 
action of salt on.104, 105, 332 
antiseptics for keeping. 332 

baking. 96 

barding 102 

basting 96 

beef , to cook 106 



Page. 

Meats, beefsteak 110 

boiling 96 

boning of 102 

braising 101 

broiling 95 

buying of 26 to 28 

canning of 332 

cold 105 

composition of 104 

curing of 410 to 412 

cutting it up 407 to 411 

daubing.. 102 

dripping for frying 103 

pickle for 410,411,412 

to smoke . . 413 

egg and bread-crumb- 

• ing 103 

effect of saltpetre on. ..332 

essence of 364 

freezing to keep it 332 

frozen, to thaw 37 

frying 99 

fricasseeing 99 

game 127 

garnishing of 106 

glazing 102 

gravy for 105 

grilling 95 

ham 117 

head cheese 120 

kid. 117 

lamb, to cook 115, 117 

to lard 102 

minced. 131 

mutton, to cook 115 

pie. .. 123 

pies, dangerous gases in. 123 

pork, to cook 117 

potted Ill 

poultry 120 

preserving Ill, 332 

principles of cooking... 95 

processes of cooking 95 

putrid 26 

roasting 96 

sauteing 101 

sausage 111,120 

salt, to boil 98 

sheep's brains 117 

souse 119 

steaming 101 

sweetbreads 114 

tainted, to restore 36 

thawingfrozen 104 

to keep 36,46 

to make tough tender.. 103 

tostew 98 

tripe 110 

veal 112 

washingit 103 

Medicinal terms, etc 8 

Melons, origin, etc 298 

to keep 43 

to serve 298 

salad 152 

Mercury, bichloride of.. .439 

on gold or silver 471 

Mercurial ointment 502 

Meringue 207 

Metals and metal ware . . 

466 to474 

Metric System, the 8 

Mezzotints, hints about.. 

482,483 

Mica.toclean 475 

Mice 516 

Microbes 326 

Mildew 502 

Milk 142,143 

adulteration of 405 

action of salt on 45 

asses' 366 



Page. 

Milk, buttermilk 143 

buying 31 

canned 142 

cause of souring 142 

composition of 142 

condensed 142 

curd 142 

diseased 405 

effect of acid on ... . 142, 145 

goat's 366 

nutritive value of 142 

sauce 90 

solidified 142 

sour, uses of 143 

stains from 502 

sugar of 142 

toast 368 

tokeep 44 

to sweeten when turned. 45 

Mince meats 131,212 

canned 212, 332 

mock 212 

Mince pies 211 

Minestra 398 

Mint 41 

sauce 90 

vinegar 94 

Mirotin of veal 394 

Mirrors, hints about 462 

Mites 45, 46 

Mock duck 108 

Molasses, candy. 291 

composition of 179 

for cooking 234,236 

stains from. 502 

vinegar. 346 

Mold, what it is, etc... . 310 

Monk's beard 151 

Moorish trays 457 

Morocco leather 487 

Mosquitoes 514 

Mother of pearl 456 

Moths 515 

Mountain cookery 240 

Mousse 281 

Mucidin ....... 179 

Mucilage, its nature 17 

Mucilages 507 

Mud stains 502 

Muffins 194 to 196 

buckwheat 194 

cornmeal 195 

gluten . 195 

graham 195 

entire wheat 195 

raised 195 

rice 195 

rye 195 

tea... 194 

white flour 194 

Mulberry, composition of 

.295,297 

preserves 322 

Muriatic acid 499 

use in coo king 236 

Mush, buckwheat 199 

cornmeal 198 

fried 199 

gluten 199 

graham 199 

green corn 199 
ominy 199 

oatmeal 199 

rye 199 

Mushrooms, buying 31 

catsup 343 

fried 166 

nutritive value 167 

pickled 337 

sauce 90 

soup 58 

tokeep 40 



INDEX 



541 



Page. 

Mushrooms, stewed . 166 

Muskallonge 75 

Muskmelon, origin, etc... 298 

preserves. 323 

Muslins, to wash..-. 627 

Mussels 80 

Mustard, adulteration of .406 

French 91 

German 91 

prepared 90 

pickles... 337 

sauce 90 

use of, etc 91 

Mutton, buying 27 

composition of 104 

cooking of 115 to 117 

its digestibility 115 

boiled 115 

chops 115 

Irish stew. 116 

kid 117 

location of. parts in 408 

patties 115 

pie 116 

rechauffe. 116 

tea 365 

toasted 364 

to keep 37 

with rice 116 

roly poly. 117 

Scotch stew 116 

scrambled. 116 

sheep's brains. 117 

boiled sheep's tongues.. 116 

and tomatoes 116 

Nails 454 

Nalym 401 

Nan keen, to wash 527 

Nasturtiums, pickled 337 

Nausea, food for 363 

Nectar, blackberry 363 

Nectarines, canning of . ..329 

preserves 323 

tokeep 43 

Neroli, oil of 299 

Nettle stings 613 

Neun-loth pudding 396 

Newspapers, uses of 511 

Nickle.. ..471 

Nickleon stoves 475 

Nitrate of silver stains. ..502 

Nitrogenous foods 15 

Noise, to deaden 454 

Noodles 54 

soup 58 

Nougat 290 

Noyau 239 

Nudels 64,396 

Nutmeg 34, 91 

Nuts, to keep 43 

salad. 152 

to serve .301 

Nut-shells, stains of 501 

Oatmeal, bread 189 

cakes. 196 

composition of 179 

drink. 355 

mush 199 

for invalids 362 

to buy, etc 33 

Odors, removing disa- 
greeable 422 

Oil , anti-corrosive 511 

for frying 100 

tokeep 511 

to unite with water 511 

stains from 500, 501 

Oilcloth 448,449 

made from carpet 449 

Okra, buying 31 

cooking 167 

composition of 155 



Page. 

Olein 144 

Oleomargarine 144 

composition of 142 

Olives, to serve 298 

use of 298,299 

oil 144 

Ollapodrida 399 

Omelets 139,140 

Onions, a la Bordeaux. ... 167 

boiled 167 

composition of 165 

escaloped 168 

fried 168 

gruel 367 

how to peel ,..167 

in soup 60 

juice, to extract 50 

origin, etc 168 

pickled 337 

soup 58 

Spanish 168 

to keep 40 

to kill odor of 167 

vinegar 94 

with cream 167 

Opossums, to cook 130 

Orangeade 355 

Orange, cake 252 

composition of 299 

compote of 308 

cookies 262 

cream 274 

extractof... 239 

float 270 

flower water 240 

fritters 232 

jam 317 

jelly : 274 

juice, to extract 276 

marmalade 314 

nutritive value, etc 299 

paste 316 

peel, candied 294 

peel, to grate 240 

pie 212 

preserves 322, 323 

pudding 221 

salad 152 

shortcake 215 

tokeep 43 

syrup 357 

Orgeate 355 

Osmazome 49 

Ossein 15 

Ostkaka .. 268 

Ostrich feathers 491 

Otamo ... .. 399 

Oven, to test for baking, 

181 237 
Oxalic acid . '. . . 18', 213, 307" 499 

Oysters 80 to 84 

broiled 81 

buying 5 30 

canned .... 80 

composition of 66 

catsup 343 

creamed 81 

croquettes 134 

deviled 81 

digestibility of 81 

escaloped 81 

fricassee of 82 

fried 81 

fritters 82,232 

and macaroni 82 

omelet 82 

on the half shell 82 

panned 82 

patties 82 

pickled 82, 337 

pie 82 

pigs in blanket 83 



Page. 

Oysters, raw 83 

salad 153 

smothered.. 83 

soup ... 65 

steamed 83 

^w 83 

stuffing 70,122 

toast .... ; 83 

to keep 38 

unshelled 83 

when in season 80 

Ox-gall 499 

Pails 490 

garbage 425 

Paint 477 to 479 

brushes 479 

stains of 502 

Paintings, to clea n, etc. . . 481 

Panada, cracker 368 

Pancreatic juice, the ac- 
tion of . 13 

Pandowdy 225 

Pantry, the .419 

Pans, cleaning of 422 

Paper, cones for icing.... 258 
copying . .. ... 509 

hints about . 484, 485 

to stick to metal 508 

Paraguay tea 353 

Parasols .497 

Parchment, hints about.. 485 

Parian china, to clean 462 

Parmesan cheese 146 

Parsley 41 

fried ....168 

pickled .338 

vinegar 94 

Parsnip, balls 168 

boiled 168 

fried 168 

origin, etc 168 

stewed 168 

Partridges, boned 128 

to buy 29 

roast .. .128 

Pastes, adhesive 507, 508 

offruit 315 

rice 506 

Pasteboard, waterproof ..484 

Pastry 204to215 

bag, to make a 418 

baking tins for 206 

butter for 204,206 

corn meal in 207 

flour 33,183,204,234 

its digestibility 207 

method of making 204 

ornamenting ..260 

oven for 206 

pies 208 

principles involved in 

making 207 

shortcakes 215 

tarts 214 

to make 204 

to prevent juice run- 
ning out 206 

the two crusts for 206 

Patties, green corn 194 

Patty cakes. 262 

Peaches, baked 306 

butter 306 

canning of 327, 329, 331 

chips 303 

composition of 295, 299 

compote of .308 

cobler 212 

cream 274 

crystalized.. 294 

dried 303 

fried 306 

jelly 313 



542 



INDEX 



Page. 

Peaches, mangoes 337 

marmalade 314 

paste 316 

pickled 341 

pie 212 

preserves 323 

pudding 222 

sauce of dried .305 

spiced 342 

shortcake 215 

stains of 503 

to keep 43 

toserve 299 

to skin 306,327 

Peanut, candy 293 

composition of 295 

oil 144 

Pearlash 236 

Pearls, care of 473 

Pears, baked 306 

canning of 328 

chipped 306 

composition of 295, 299 

compote of 308 

drying of 302 

jelly 313 

marmalade 314 

pickled 341 

pie 212 

preserves 323 

spiced 342 

to keep 43 

toserve .299 

Peas, buying 31 

canning of 329,330 

composition of 155 

cooking of 156,169 

green, to keep 40 

split 169 

soup 58 

Pectose 17,310 

effect of fermentation 

on 356 

Pepper, adulteration of ..404 

catsup 344 

cayenne 35 

Jamaica 34 

its origin, etc 35 

Peppers, pickled 338 

Persian beverage 355 

Persimmons, nature of.. .299 

tokeep 43 

toserve 299 

Perspiration, stains of. ..503 

Pewter 471 

Phene 499 

Pianos, care of 452, 453 

Piano polish 453 

Piccalilli 338 

Pickles 333 to 341 

adulteration of 403 

brine for 333 

coloring them 333 

digestibility of 334 

keeping them 333 

spices for 333 

using alum for 333 

vinegarfor 333 

Pickles, sour 334 to 339 

artichokes 334 

beans 334 

beets 334 

butternut 338 

cabbage 334 

carrots 334 

cauliflower 334 

celery 334 

cherry 334 

chili sauce 339 

chow chow .'. 339 

corn 334 

cucumber 334, 335 



Page. 

Pickles, sour, eggs 336 

French 338 

gherkins 336 

green pepper mangoes.. 337 

freen tomato. 338 
ersey 336 

lemons 336 

limes 336 

mangoe 336,337 

martynias ,....336 

mixed 337 

mushroom 337 

mustard 337 

nasturtium 337 

ornamental 338 

onion 337 

oyster 82,337 

parsley 338 

peach mangoes 337 

peppers 337 

piccalilli 338 

Russia 338 

tomato 338 

turnips 338 

walnuts 338 

Pickles, sweet 339 to 341 

method of making 339 

spices for 339 

apples 339 

beets 340 

blackberries 340 

blueberries 340 

cabbage 340 

cantelope 340 

cauliflower 340 

cherries.. 340 

citron 341 

crab apples 339 

cucumber 340 

currants 340 

figs 340 

grapes 340 

peaches 341 

pears 341 

pineapple 341 

plums 340 

quinces 341 

raisins 341 

raspberries 340 

strawberries 340 

tomato .341 

watermelon rind 341 

Pictures 480,481 

Picture, cord 482 

frames 481,482 

Pie plates, cleaning of 422 
Pies ... 204 to 214 
to prevent juice run- 
ning out 206 

apple 208 

apple a la mode 208 

apple custard 208 

banana 208 

beefsteak 110 

carrot 209 

cherry ..209 

chocolate 209 

cocoanut 209 

corn-starch .209 

cream .. 209,210 

cream filling 210 

crust for 207,208 

custard ... 210 

date 210 

elderberry 210 

fish 76 

fish and oyster 76 

fried .. .. Sin 

frosted custard 210 

fruit 210 

gooseberry 211 

grape 211 



Page. 

Pies, green currant 210 

ground cherry 209 

hash 132 

hickory-nut 211 

huckleberry 211 

jelly 211 

lemon 211 

meat 123 

meringue for 207 

mince 211,212 

mock mince 212 

mutton or lamb 116 

orange 212 

peach 212 

peach cobler 212 

pear .- 212 

pineapple ....212 

pot apple 208 

potato 213 

prune.... 213 

pumpkin 213 

raisin 213 

rice 213 

rhubarb 213 

squash 213 

souse 119 

strawberry .213 

summer mince 212 

sweet potato .213 

tomato 214 

transparent 214 

vinegar 214 

Washington 214 

Pig.roast 118 

Pig's feet, pickle for 412 

boiled 118 

Pigeons, cooking of. . .127, 128 

pie 128 

roast 128 

squabs 128 

Pike's Peak, cooking on . 240 

Pilaff 133 

Pilau 400 

Pimento, adulteration of.406 

its origin, etc 34 

Pineapple acid in the 

rind 300 

beverage 355 

canning of 329,331 

composition, etc 300 

cream 274 

dried 303 

jam 317 

jelly 274 

pickled 341 

pie ...212 

preserves 323 

sherbet 283 

syrup 358 

tarts 214 

tokeep 43 

toserve . .. .299 

Pipes, flushing of.. . . 424 

hints about 430 

leaks in 424,430 

Piping 259 

Pistachio nuts 34 

Pitch, stains of — 503 

Plaster casts, bints about.457 
Plas er, boles in. .. 4*6 

Plaster of paris, mixing 

of 457 

Plated ware. . 471 

Plate powder . 473 

Plovers, to cook . . 127, 1:.'8 
Pluck, the .. 4d7 

Plum, cake *. 252 

c.nningof 328,329,3:1 

charlotte 306 

cheese .. 315 

composition of 295, 300 

crystalized 294 



INDEX 



543 



Page. 

Plum, damson sauce 306 

dried 303 

extract of 239 

jam 317 

marmalade 314 

paste 316 

pickled 340 

preserves 333 

soy .....344 

to keep 43 

to serve 297,300 

Plush, hints about 494 

to clean 627 

Polpetti 147 

Polishing materials.. 473, 611 

Pocock pickle .411 

Polenta with gravy 398 

Pomegranite 300 

Pones 193 

Pop, ginger 356 

Pop-overs 196 

Poppy-seed oil 144 

Porcelain, kettle 417 

toclean 462 

pans, to clean 463 

Pork, and eggs 119 

buying 28 

cake 252 

cooking of 117 to 120 

composition of 104 

chine of 118,119 

. cutlets 119 

cutting it up 409 

friedsalt 119 

ham balls 118 

baked ham 117 

boiled ham 118 

boiled pig's feet 118 

broiled ham 118 

head cheese 120 

rechauffe 119 

roast pig 118 

salt pork dinner 120 

sausages 120,413 

spare ribs 118 

souse 119 

steaks 119 

to freshen salt 117 

to keep 37 

trichina in 117 

with sweet potatoes 173 

worst 120 

Porphyry 457 

Porridge, bean 66 

milk 367 

Portieres, toclean 528 

Potash in food 18 

Potential energy of food. 19 
Potatoes, a la Maitre 

d'hotel 172 

baked 170 

balls 170 

boiled 170 

boston chips.... „ 170 

broiled 170 

buying 31 

cake. 170 

composition of 155 

creamed ...171 

croquettes 134 

fried 171 

fritters 233 

for clarifying fat 229 

frozen 169 

how to cook 169 

Lyonnaise 171 

mashed 171 

mold 396 

origin, etc 172 

pie 213 

puff 172 

pudding ....222 



Page. 

Potatoes, salad 153 

Saratoga 171 

sprouting of 170 

soup 59 

stew 172 

stuffed 172 

sweet 173 

to keep 40 

turnovers 171 

vinegar 346 

warmed in gravy 171 

warmed over 172 

with cheese 171 

with eggs 171 

water 523 

Pot-pie 108, 113 

Potted fish or meat.. . .76, 111 
Poor people, importance 

of knowledge to 11 

Poultry, boning of 121 

buying 28 

breakfast dish of 127 

chestnut stuffing for .... 122 

cooking of 120 to 127 

chickens 122 

ducks 125 

drawing of 121 

fowls 121, 124,125 

garnishes for 121 

goose 125 

guinea fowls 125 

oyster stuffing for 122 

plain dressing for 121 

stuffing for 121,122 

to select 120 

to freshen when strong. 37 

to keep 37 

to truss 121 

turkey 125 

Powders, for flavoring 93 

Prairie chickens, to cook 

127,129 

Prawns, buttered 78 

buying; 30 

curried 79 

potted 79 

Prepared caramel 257 

Preserves 309, 318 to 325 

candyingof 310 

coloring for 310 

cooking the fruit 318 

fruitfor 309 

hardening fruit for 318 

keeping of 310,318 

sugar for 309 

syrup for 318 

utensils for 309 

Preserves, apple 319 

apricot 319,323 

barberry 319 

blackberry 319 

black currants 320 

cantelope rinds 325 

cherries 319 

citron melon 319, 320 

crab apple .319 

cranberry 320 

currant 319 

damson 321 

dewberry 319 

fig 320 

gooseberry 321 

grape .321 

greengage 321 

green ginger 320 

huckleberry 321 

lemon 321,322 

limes 322 

mock ginger 321 

mulberry 322 

muskmelon 322 

nectarine 323 



Page. 

Preserves, peach 323 

pear 323 

persimmon.... 323 

pineapple 333 

plum 323 

pumpkin 324 

quince 324 

orange 322 

orange and rhubarb ... .323 

raspberry 324 

strawberry 324 

tomato 324 

tomato fig 320 

watermelon rinds 325 

Preserving meat Ill 

Preserve jars, to clean ... .463 

Principles of cooking 95 

Prints, to wash 626 

Privies, to disinfect 440 

Processes of cooking 

meat 95 

Proteids, the 15 

Provisions, to keep 36 

Prunes 300 

jelly 274 

pie 213 

sauce 307 

stewed 307 

Puddings 216 to 224 

baking them 216 

boiling them 216 

cloth for 216 

creaming butter for 217 

steaming them 216 

almond 217 

apple 217 

apple Indian 217 

apple tapioca 224 

baked cottage 220 

baked Indian 221 

berry 317 

bird's nest 217 

black 317 

black bread 218 

boiled Indian 221 

bread 318 

bread crumb 318 

cake 218 

canned 218 

charlotte 219 

cherry 219 

chocolate 219 

Christmas 219 

cocoanut rice 219 

cocoanut tapioca . . 224 

corn 163,219 

cottage 220 

corn-starch 219 

cracker 220 

Delmonico 220 

economical .320 

English 330 

English plum 222 

farina 220 

gold 220 

gooseberry 220 

graham 230 

graham minute 321 

Hanover 221 

hasty 200 

iced strawbrery 281 

kiss 271 

layer 270 

lemon 231 

Lowell 221 

minute 221 

nesselrode 281 

neun-loth 396 

orange 221 

ornamenting 260 

Oxford 232 

passover 400 



544 



INDEX 



Page. 

Puddings, peach 222 

plain plum 222 

potato 222 

puff 222 

queen 222 

raspberry..... 222 

ratafia 223 

rhubarb 223 

rice 223,224 

rolypoly 223 

sago 223,224 

snow 275 

sponge 223 

steamed .223 

steamed bread 218 

steamed cottage 220 

steamed Indian 223 

steamed peach 222 

steamed puff 222 

steamed graham 220 

suet 224 

tapioca 223, 224 

whortleberry 224 

Yorkshire 109 

Pudding sauces 225 to 228 

Caramel for 225 

caramel syrup for 225 

acid. 226 

berry 226 

brown 226 

cider 226 

cream 226 

Dutch 226 

foaming ...226 

fruit juice for 226, 330 

golden 226 

hard lemon 226 

hard vanilla 227 

jelly 226 

lemon ,327 

lombard 227 

maple sugar 227 

milk f. 227 

molasses 227 

orange 227 

plain 227 

pineapple 227 

plum 227 

sweet .. 227 

vanilla 227 

vinegar 228 

white 228 

Puff paste 207, 208 

Puffs 264,271 

bread 196 

breakfast 196 

cream 244 

Pulses, the 160 

Pumpkin, butter 173 

canning of .330 

composition of 155 

for winter. 174 

origin, etc.... 173 

pie 213 

preserves 324 

soup 59 

to keep 41 

Pumps, hints about 430 

Putrefaction 16 

Putrid meat 26 

Quails, to cook 127,129 

Quenelles 54 

Quinces, baked 307 

canning of 328 

cheese 315 

drying of 302 

jam .....317 

jelly 313 

marmalade 314 

origin of 307 

pickled 341 

preserves 324 



Page. 

Quinces, snow 271 

stewed 307 

Babbits, to buy 29 

to cook 129 

to kill 29 

soup 63 

Radishes 174 

Raccoons, to cook 130 

Eagout 99 

powder 93 

Eaisine 307 

Eaisins 34,300 

pie 213 

pickled... 341 

preparing them for cake235 

Eamequins 394 

Range, the 418 

Easpberry , acid 355 

canning of 328 

composition of 295 

marmalade 315 

jam. 317 

jelly 312 

nutritive value of 300 

paste 316 

pickled. 340 

preserves 324 

pudding 222 

shrub 355 

syrup 357 

to serve 300 

vinegar....; 346 

water .355 

Eatafias, to make 293 

extracts 239 

pudding 223 

Eats 516 

Eecipes, altering of 51 

Eed pepper sauce 400 

Eef rigerators, care of 423 

Eennet 145 

custard „ 268 

to prepare 146, 265, 413 

Eesin, stains of 503 

Ehubarb, butter 307 

canning of 328,331 

composition of 295 

marmalade 315 

jam 317 

jelly 313 

neutralizing acid in 213 

origin of, etc 307 

pie 213 

preserves 323 

pudding 223 

stewed 307 

vinegar 346 

Eibbons 493 

Rice, baked 174 

blanc mange 266, 368 

boiled 174 

bread 188 

and milk 366 

composition of 155, 174 

cream 269,275 

croquettes 134 

for invalids 362 

fritters 233 

griddle cakes 197 

hint about 223 

muffins 195 

jelly 367 

omelet 139 

origin, etc 174 

pie 213 

pudding 223 

spider cake 193 

soup 59 

steamed 174 

toboil 98 

tobuy 34 

tokeep 46 



Page. 

Rice, water..... 365 

with cheese 174 

Ricotta 398 

Rigor mortis 36 

Rinsing clothes 519 

Risotto 398 

Rocambole, the 51 

Rolls, coffee 192 

French 192 

graham. 192 

Parker house , .192 

Roly poly cake 164 

meat 117 

Roofs 431 

Roasting meat 96 

Rogrod 271 

Rope, hints about 461 

Rosewood, furniture 452 

ink on .452 

Rose vinegar 94 

water 240 

Roux 86 

Rubber, hints about.. 459, 460 

rollers 459 

Rugs 448 

Rumford, Count.... 10, 22, 48 

Rusks 191 

Russia iron 470 

Russian cookery 401 

nalym 401 

shchi 401 

cream 275 

iced tea 347 

jelly 275 

pickles 338 

Rust, stains of 502 

Eye, bread 189 

flour, composition of ...179 

meal, to buy, etc 33 

Saccharine, its nature.. .. 16 

Saffron , for coloring 256 

Sage 41 

Sago, adulteration of 406 

blanc mange 368 

mites in 46 

origin, etc... 224 

pudding 223,224 

soup 59 

toboil 98 

with fruit , .271 

Salads 149 to 154 

dressings for 150 

to marinate 149 

nutriti ve value of. . 149 

Spanish proverb about. 149 

beef lfiO. 

cabbage. ill 

celery 151 

chicken 151 

coldslaw 151 

crab 151 

cream slaw ...151 

cucumber 152 

egg 152 

fish 152 

fruit 164 

ham 152 

hot slaw... 151 

lemon 152 

lettuce 152 

lobster 152 

melon 152 

nut 152 

orange 152 

oyster 153 

potato. 153 

salmon 153 

sardine 153 

string bean 150 

sweet potato 153 

tomato 153 

tongue 153 



INDEX 



545 



Page. 

Salads, veal 163 

vegetable 163 

walnut 164 

water-cress 164 

Salad dressings 160 

boiled 150 

cream 150, 151 

French. 160 

mayonnaise 150 

Swiss 150 

Salamander, the 417 

Saleratus, how made 336 

Salicylic acid, canning 

with 327 

Salisbury steak 110 

Saliva, action of 12 

Sally lunn.. 196 

Salmon, canned 74 

composition of 66 

cutlets 73 

salad 153 

steaks 73 

toast 74 

Salsify, boiled .....174 

creamed ....174 

escaloped 175 

fritters ...233 

nutritive value 175 

Sal-soda, how made, etc . .236 

Salt 18,276 

as a disinfectant 510 

its action on meat 104 

to buy 34 

to keep 47 

fish 75 

Salts of lemon...: 499 

of sorrel 499 

Salt water, boiling of 97 

Samp 32,42 

Sand, for cleaning floors 442 

Sandstone .459 

Sandwiches 201 to 203 

to make 201 

aberdeen 202 

anchovy, butter for 201 

anchovy and egg 202 

baked 202 

cheese 202 

dandelion 202 

egg ,202 

fish 202 

ginger 202 

ham 202 

Hanover 202 

labette 202 

lettuce 202 

lbbster 203 

mustard, butter for... 201 

nasturtium 202 

peppergrass 202 

rawbeef 364 

salmon 203 

sardine 203 

tomato 203 

water-cress 202 

various kinds ...203 

Sanitas 439 

Sap pans, to clean 468 

Sardines 74 

salad 153 

Sarcinets, to wash 526 

Sassafras powder. 93 

Satins, to clean. 524,526 

Satines, to wash 626 

Saucepans, cleaning of . . .422 

Sauerbraten 397 

Sauerkraut 175 

Sausage, adulteration of 406 

bologna 413 

buying 28 

meat, canning of 332 

composition of 104 



Page. 

Sausage, mock...... Ill 

roll Ill 

to cook 120 

tomake 413 

Sauces for fish, shell-fish 

and meat 85 to 94 

butter for 86 

coloring for 86 

eggs for 85 

herbs for 85 

rouxfor 86 

serving 86 

thickening for 85 

utensils for 85 

anchovy 86 

aspic jelly 86 

bechamel 87 

bordeaux , 87 

bread 87 

brown 87 

caper — 88 

cauliflower 88 

celery 88 

chestnut 88 

chutnee 88 

cranberry 88 

cream 88 

cucumber 89 

curry 89 

currypowder 93 

drawn butter 87 

egg 89 

fennel 89 

fish 89 

flavored vinegars 93 

garlic butter 88 

Hollandaise 89 

horseradish 89, 90 

horseradish butter 88 

lemon 90 

lobster 90 

maitre d'hotel 87 

Maitland's mayonnaise. 90 

mandram 90 

matelote 90 

milk 90 

mint 90 

montpelier butter 87 

mushroom 90 

mustard 90, 91 

navy 91 

nut 91 

olive 91 

onion.. 91 

oyster 91 

parsley 91 

pickle 91 

pepper 92 

piquante 92 

potato 92 

raisin 92 

Eobert 92 

scented butter 88 

shrimp 92 

supreme 92 

tarragon butter 88 

tartar 92 

tomato 92 

veloute 92 

walnut 93 

white 87 

Worcestershire 93 

Sauces, fruit 303 to 308 

Sauces, pudding ... 226 to 228 

Sauteing 101 

Savory 42 

Savoy biscuits 264 

Scale pans, to clean 468 

Scallops 83 

fried . 84 

when in season 83 

Scandinavian rogrod 271 



Page. 

Scones 196 

Scorches 603, 522 

Scotch, collops 135 

eggs 140 

scones 196 

stew 116 

Scouring balls 504 

Scrapple 132 

Screws, hints about : 454 

Scurvy, cause of 155 

Sea-kale, boiled 175 

composition, etc 175 

Sealing-wax, to make 508 

Sealskin.. 497 

Sesamum oil 144 

Sewer gas, to detect.. 424, 437 

Shad., 74 

to buy 30 

Shallot, the 50 

vinegar 94 

Shchi 401 

Sheep's brains 117 

Sheep's tongues, boiled. . .116 
Sheepskin rugs, to clean 448 

Shell-fish 77 to 84 

buying 29 

composition of 66 

clams 77 

crabs 78 

crayfish 78 

lobsters... 79 

mussels 80 

oysters 80 

prawns 78 

scallops 38 

shrimps 78 

terrapin. 84 

to keep 77 

turtle 84 

Shells, marine 456 

Shells, to fasten on wood.456 
Shelves, to clean. .418, 419 

Sherbets, to make 282 

ginger 283 

lemon 283 

milk 283 

pineapple 283 

various kinds 283 

Shoemaker's wax,tomake508 
Shoes, hints about. 487 to 489 

Shoestrings, to tie 488 

Shortcakes 215 

apple 215 

apricot 215 

berry 215 

chicken 124 

cranberry 215 

fruit 215 

jam 215 

orange 215 

peach 215 

strawberry 215 

Shrewsberry cakes 264 

Shrimps, buttered 78 

buying 30 

curried 79 

potted.. 79 

Shrub, currant 354 

gooseberry 354 

raspberry 355 

strawberry 355, 356 

Sieves, cleaning of 422 

Silk, oiled, to make 494 

spots on 524 

to remove shine on 524 

washing, etc 523, 524 

Silver fish 513 

Silver, hints about. 471 to 473 

lace, to clean 469, 528 

ornaments 474 

to mark 509 

Silverware 471 



546 



INDEX 



Page. 

Simmering water 97 

Sinks, care of 423,424 

Sippets 368 

Slatestone 469 

Slaw 151 

Sloe, the 300 

Slops, emptying of 436 

Slugs 615 

Smallage 162 

Small birds, to cook 129 

Smear case 147 

Smelts 74 

Smith, Dr. Edward 22 

Smoked ceilings, to clean.466 

Snails 515 

Snaps, fruit 263 

ginger 262 

lemon 263 

sugar ginger 262 

Snipes, to cook 127, 129 

Soapbark 519 

Soaps 518, 519 

to keep 47 

Soapstone 459 

Soapstone griddles 422 

Soda, chlorinated 439 

cream 353 

how made, etc 236 

lactate of 142 

washing 511 

Solanine 170,173 

Soldering fluid 472 

"Solution 1," for disin- 
fecting 439 

Soot ..475 

Sorbet 283 

Sorghum vinegar 346 

Sorrel, the 61 

soup 59 

Souffle, almond 140 

custard 268 

omelet 139 

Sound, to deaden 354 

Soups 48to65 

additions to 54 

bones for 49 

browned crackers for. . . 55 

caramel for 65 

to clarify 63 

coloring for 53 

croutons for 64 

dumplings for 54 

egg-balls for 65 

flavorings for 60 

hints about 63 

lobster, butter for 63 

onions in. 60 

principles involved in 

making 48 

removing fat from 49 

seasoningof 61 

soup-bouquet for 64 

soup-bunch for 64 

stockfor 49,61 

to clear stock 53 

fish stock 52 

veal stock 52 

whitestock 52 

thickening for 54 

utensils for 48 

Virginia flavoring for.. 55 

Soup, alma mata 60 

almond 55 

asparagus 55 

barley 56 

bean 56 

bean porridge 66 

beef 60 

bonne f emme 60 

bouillabaisse 64, 65 

bouillon 60 

carrot....' , 56 

cabbage 66 



Page. 

Soup, chicken 61 

celery 66, 67 

clam. 64 

clam chowder 64 

clear 61 

codfish 65 

consomme 61 

cucumber 67 

Duchess 61 

egg 60, 61 

every-day 62 

fish 64, 65 

Flemish 67 

Florence 62 

French sorrel 69 

game 60, 62 

green corn 57 

gumbo 57,61 

gumbo file 61 

hotch-potch 62 

Italian 57 

Julienne 57 

lima bean 56 

lobster 64 

macaroni 59 

maigre 65 

meat-broth 62 

milk .364 

mock bisque 58 

mockturtle 59, 63 

mullagatawny 63 

mushroom 58 

mutton broth 63 

noodle 58 

okra 57 

onion 58 

oxtail 63 

oyster 65 

Palestine 58 

pea 58 

Canadian pea..... 58 

potato 59 

Provencal 65 

pumpkin 59 

rabbit 63 

rice 59 

sago 59 

semolina 59 

tapioca 59 

tomato. 59 

turkey 63 

veal 64 

vegetable marrow 59 

vermacelli 59 

Victoria 60 

white 60 

Sour milk, use in cake.... 236 

Sour, to make 510 

Souse 119 

pie 119 

Soys 344 

Spaghetti 166 

Spanish cookery .... 398 to 400 

ajo bianco 399 

bacalao 399 

carbonada 399 

frijoles 399 

otamo 399 

olla podrida 399 

red pepper sauce 400 

cream 275 

eggs 140 

onions 168 

Spare ribs 118 

Sparrowgrass ..> 169 

Spawning, effect on fish.. 30 

Spectacles 464 

Spermaceti, stains of 503 

Spices, adulteration of .. .406 

nutritive value of 34 

recipe for mixed 34 

to buy 34 

to keep 47 



Page, 

Spider cake 193 

Spinach, boiled 175 

buying 31 

composition of 165 

green, for coloring 266 

nutritive value of 175 

Spirilum 326 

Spirit of salt 499 

Spirits of wine 499 

Sponge cake, how to mix. 237 

Sponges, care of .460 

Spots and stains 498 to 504 

Spruce beer 356 

Squabs, to cook 128 

Squash, baked 176 

boiled 175 

bread 189 

composition of 155 

fried 176 

nutritive value of 176 

pie 213 

griddle cakes 197 

summer 175 

to keep 40 

winter 176 

Squirrels, to cook 130 

pie 130 

to buy 29 

Stains 498to504 

for floors 444 

Stale bread, griddle cakesl97 

to utilize 47,189 

Stamping powders .... 610 
Starch, composition of.. 179 

digestion of 12. 13, 17 

for clothes 520, 521 

need of cooking 85 

its nature 16 

to buy 35 

Steaming foods ... . ....101 

Steam, for disinfecting. . 438 

Stearine 144 

stains of 503 

Steel 469 

pens, to preserve 509 

to keep from rust 470 

to mark 509 

Stencil ink 509 

Stewing 98 

Sticklerspersgrod 397 

Stings of insects 513 

St. Louis flour 33 

Stock, for soup 49, 51, 52 

to clear 63 

Stockings, to wash 522 

Stone, to clean, etc 459 

Stoneware 464 

Storeroom, the 419 

Stoves, hints about. 474 to 476 

Strawberry, acid 356 

canning of . . 328, 329, 332 

composition of 295 

jam 318 

jelly 275,312 

marmalade 315 

mock 300 

origin, etc 301 

paste 316 

pickled 340 

pie .. 213 

preserves 324 

shortcake .215 

shrub 356 

tarts 214 

toast 201 

to serve 300 

syrup 357 

with griddle cakes 197 

Stuffing for fish 70 

forpoultry 121 

Sturgeon, buying 30 

Succotash.... 163 

canning of .......330 



INDEX 



547 



Page. 

Sucrose 16 

Suet 414 

and milk 366 

beef, tokeep 47 

dumpling, for soup... . 54 

for puddings 216 

to keep 46 

Sugar, adulteration of... 404 

boiling for candy 285 

coloring it 257 

composition of 179 

how digested 12,13 

effect of on acid 303 

flavoring it 257 

its nature 16 

stains of 603 

tobuy 35 

using in cooking fruit. .303 

vinegar 346 

Sulphate of zinc 440 

Sulphurous acid gas 440 

Sunlight, importance of ..437 

its effect on food 47 

Swansdown — 490 

Sweet basil 41 

Swedish ost kaka 268 

Sweetbreads, buying . 28 

cooking of 114, 115 

location of 408 

creamed 115 

croquettes 114 

Sweet potatoes, baked . . 173 

boiled 173 

broiled 173 

composition of 155 

fried 173 

origin of 173 

pie 213 

sugared 173 

with pork 173 

Swiss, cream 366 

salad dressing 150 

Swords, to clean 470 

Syrups 356 to 358 

barberry 367 

blackberry 357 

cherry 357 

currant 357 

for compotes. 308 

fruit 196 

lemon 357 

making of 366 

orange 357 

pineapple 368 

raspberry 367 

rose 357 

sarsaparilla 357 

simple, to make.... 278, 357 

strawberry 357 

to clarify 318 

tomato 358 

vanilla 240,348 

violet 367 

wintergreen 358 

Tables, wooden, to clean. 418 
Taganrok blanc mange.. 368 
Tallow, to clarify . . . 414 

Tamarind, adulteration 

of 300 

originof 300 

preserving of 300 

Tannin stains 601 

Tapioca, and milk 366 

blanc mange 368 

jelly 367 

composition, etc 224 

cream 269 

custard 268 

pudding 223, 224 

soup 59 

Tarragon 42 

butter 88 

vinegar 94 



Page. 

Tartaricacid 18 

Tarts 210, 214 

chicken 124 

cranberry 214 

lemon 214 

gooseberry 234 
arisian 215 

pineapple 214 

strawberry ! 214 

tartlets 214 

Tea, adulteration of 402 

buying 32 

to make 347 

origin of, etc 348 

principles involved in 

making- 347 

for invalids 362 

iced 347 

to keep 46 

beef , 366 

flavoring 240 

flaxseed 36rt 

licorice 366 

linseed 366 

slippery elm 366 

stains of ...503 

Tea kettles, care of 422 

Tea leaves, uses of 611 

Tea pots, care of 423 

Terrapin, buying 30 

tocook 84 

Theine 348 

Thermometers for cook- 
ing 103 

Thyme 42 

Thymol 440 

Tiled floors 449 

Tiles, care of 459 

Tinware 472, 473 

Tisane 356 

Toast, to make 200 

cream 200, 368 

egg .141 

for invalids 200, 362 

milk 368 

graham gems 201 

meringued 201 

milk 200 

salmon 74 

strawberry 201 

tomato 177 

veal 114 

vermicelli ..201 

water 200,365 

with cheese 148 

Tobacco pipes 460 

Tortoiseshell 456 

Tomatoes, baked 176 

beverage 356 

butter 307 

buying 31 

canned 178 

canning of 330,332 

composition of 155 

catsup 344 

croutes 176 

custard 268 

figs 320 

escaloped , 177 

fried 177 

jam 318 

marmalade 315 

origin, etc 178 

pickles 338,341 

pie 214 

preserves 324 

raw 177 

salad 153 

salted 177 

spiced 342 

soup... 69 

soy 344 

stewed 177 



Page. 

Tomatoes, syrup 358 

toast 177 

to keep 41 

vinegar 346 

with chicken 124 

with cream 176 

with macaroni .. .. 177 

Tongues, pickle for 412 

to cure 412 

beef, boiled 109 

buying 28 

ornamenting of 260 

salad 153 

sheep's, boiled 116 

Tonka beans 35 

Tough meat, to make ten- 
der 103 

Trichina in pork 117 

Trifles 264 

Tripe, composition of 104 

cooking of 110 

to clean it 412 

Trout, buying ; 30 

tocook 74 

Trussing fowls 121 

Truffle vinegar 94 

Tubs 490 

Tumblers, to clean 463 

Turbot, boiled 75 

fried 75 

Turkey, boiled 126 

boned 126 

cheese 126 

composition of 104 

cranberry sauce for... 88 

hash 132 

roast 126 

ragout 126 

soup 63 

tobuy 29 

to keep 38 

to kill 29 

Turkish cookery 400 

dolmas .400 

pilau 400 

cerkestal 400 

Turnips, boiled 178 

composition of 155 

creamed 178 

nutritive value 178 

pickled 338 

Piedmontese 178 

Turpentine 499 

for washing 618 

Turon 271 

Turtles, buying of 30 

cooking of 84 

Turtlecakes .264 

Tutti frutti 301 

beverage 356 

biscuit 190 

icecream 281 

jelly 313 

meaning of 281 

Twilback 264 

Umbrellas 497 

Urine, si ains of 503 

Useful articl es 510 

Vanilla,beans, to buy.etc. 35 

extract of 240 

sugar .. 240 

syrup 240 

Varnish, hints about — 479 

scratches in 452 

topolish 454 

stains of ... 503 

Veal, cooking of 112 to 115 

breakfast 112 

buying. . 27 

calf's brains 112 

calf's liver 112 

cheese.. 106 

composition of 104 



548 



INDEX 



Page. 

"Veal, creamed .A12 

croquettes 134 

cutlets breaded 113 

digestibility of 112 

and ham pie 113 

loaf H3 

location of parts in 408 

mayonnaise .... 113 

mirotin of 394 

molded 113 

old 112 

pot-pie 113 

roast, fillet of. 112 

roast veal pie 113 

salad. ,.153 

scalloped 114 

smothered 114 

spiced 114 

soup 64 

stew 114 

sweetbreads 114 

tea 365 

toast .114 

to keep.. — 37 

Vegetables 155 to 178 

artichokes 158 

asparagus. . . . 158 

beans 159 

beets 160 

boiling 98,362 

Brussels sprouts 160 

buying 30 

cabbage, the .....160 

carrots. 161 

cauliflower 162 

celery 162 

composition of - 155 

corn 162 

cucumbers ■. 164 

digestion of 155 

dishing up 167 

egg plant 164 

effect of different waters 

on 157 

hints about 157 

how to boil 156 

macaroni 166 

mushrooms 166 

nutritive value of 165 

odor of boiling 157 

okra 167 

onions. 167 

parsley 168 

parsnips 168 

peas 169 

potatoes .169 

principles involved in 

boiling 362 

pulses, the 160 

pumpkins 173 

radishes 174 

rice 174 

restoring their fresh- 
ness 157 

sala is 153 

salsify . , 174 

sauerkraut 175 

Scotch kale 175 

sea-kale 175 

spinach 175 

squash 175 

storing .... , 157 

sweet potatoes 173 

tomatoes 176 

to keep 38 

turnips 178 

vegetable oyster 174 

vermicelli 166 

washing of 157 

waters, use of 423 

wilted, to restore 167 

when introduced 10 

yams 178 



Page. 
Vegetable marrow soup . . 59 

Vegetabl e oyster 174 

Veils, to clean 526 

Vellum, hints about 485 

Velvet, hints about 494 

to clean 527 

Velveteen, to clean 527 

Venison, buying 28 

cutting it up... 410 

to cook 130 

Ventilation 436 

Verdigris 333 

Vermicelli 166 

and milk 366 

Villi, the 13 

Vinegar 345,346 

adulteration of 404 

motherof 345 

nutritive value of 345 

proof 345 

what it is.. 345 

apple. 345 

aromatic 346 

beet... 345 

beverage 355 

cherry 345 

cider 345 

clover 345 

corn..t... 345 

currant 346 

flavored 93 

gooseberry. .• 346 

honey 346 

molasses — 346 

pie 214 

potato 346 

raspberry., 346 

rhubarb. 346 

sorghum 346 

spiced 346 

stains of 503 

sugar 346 

to keep 47 

tomato ...■ ........346 

yeast 346 

Violinbows. 453 

Violins, care of 453 

Virginia flavoring 55 

Vitellin 15, 95 

Vitriol, blue 439 

Vomiting, apples for 296 

Wafers 190 

Waffl es, cornmeal 198 

corn-starch 198 

raised 198 

rice 198 

Walks, hints about 432 

Walnut, catsup 344 

composition of 295 

creamed 289 

pickled 338 

salad 154 

sauce 93 

stains of 503 

Walnuts, their origin, etc. 44 

to restore shrivelled 43 

Walls, hints about 431 

Wall paper, hints about.. 

485,486 

Wasps 515 

Washing fluids 518 

Washing powders 518 

Washing soda 511 

Water, boiling of 96, 97 

foodvalueof 19 

hints about 428 to 430 

simmering of 97 

stains of 503 

Water-cress salad 154 

Water ices, to make 282 

lemon 282 

orange 282 

pineapple.... 1 282 J 



Page. 

Water ices, strawberry. . . 282 
Watering of the mouth, 

the 24 

Watermelon, composition 

of .. 298 

preserves 325 

toserve 298 

rinds.dried 303 

rind, pickled 341 

Wax, nutritive value of.. 18 

stains of 503 

Waxing floors 443 

Weevils 515 

Weights and measures, 

tables of 7 

Wells, hints about ... 426, 427 

Welsh rarebit 148 

Westphalianhams 411 

Whalebones 460 

Whey, for invalids 361 

rennet 366 

wine 366 

Wheatgerm 200 

Whitewash 480 

snainsof 503 

Whortleberry, the 297 

cake ... 254 

composition of 297 

pudding 224 

Williams, Mattieu ..... .22, 156 

Willow furniture 451 

to bleach ... .451 

Windows, hints about 461 
Wigglers in water .429 

Window sills, spots on 462 

Wine, jelly 368 

stains of . . . 503, 504 

Wood, hints about . . . 453, 454 

toebonize 454 

stains for 453 

to fill cracks in 454 

to harden 454 

to make fireproof 454 

Wood floors .- 441 to 445 

grease on 442 

ink spots on 443 

oil on * 442 

removing stains 442 

sand'for .. 442 

soot stains on ...443 

to clean 442 

to stop cracks in 443 

using soap on 442 

whitewash on ..442 

Woodcocks, to cook 127, 1 29, 1 30 
Wooden ware, hints about. 

489. 490 
Woolens, to clean. 524, 525 
Worst, pork. . ... 120 

Wringing machine rollers 

459. 519 
Writing, to restore faded, 

485,507 

Yams, boiled 178 

fried ..178 

composition of 178 

Yards, to disinfect 440 

Yeast, cakes . 184 

for bread 179 

hop 184 

its nature, etc 184 

milk 184 

potato ball 184 

three hour 184 

to keep. .., 47 

vinegar 346 

Yolk of egg . . 499 

Yorkshire pudding ... 109 

Zante currants 297 

Zest 240 

Zinc, chloride of 439 

hints about 473 

ink for ..509 



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